


Your Exposed Shadows Across the Ocean Floor

by victoriousscarf



Series: Can the City Forgive I Hear Its Sad Song [4]
Category: DCU
Genre: AU of my own AU, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Atlantis, Multi, Picks up in chapter 23 of Find the Sun, Slavery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-08-17 09:20:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8138840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/victoriousscarf/pseuds/victoriousscarf
Summary: It takes just one encounter to change the course of everything: “I have not had the time,” Kaldur said and Dick couldn't move, forcing himself to stay still and keep his eyes down. “I can hardly try him to my satisfaction and attend the party.”“Of course,” his father said, accepting that before he reached his hand out and Dick knew what to expect before those fingers were back on his chin again. He let his head be tipped back, wondering exactly when Black Manta would grow tired of looking at him. “However, if you do not buy him, I cannot say that others would not.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So way back when somewhere in the middle of the Atlantis arc of Find the Sun in the Corner of Shadows I mentioned I really wanted to write an au of my own au in which Dick stays in Atlantis. Well, it took me a while to figure out how to make that work in a way that I liked and here we, at last, are. 
> 
> The Atlantis AU. 
> 
> Warnings are going to be a little bit different on this one just because Dick's stuck in the situation a lot longer. This picks up in the middle of [chapter 23](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4404539/chapters/10937939) of Find the Sun. 
> 
> One encounter that changes pretty much everything.

Dick followed Kaldur out of the room, his hands shaking slightly from the adrenaline of too many revelations too quickly behind each other. The music from the garden had changed he realized, as Kaldur led him to the landing where Dick had paused earlier, wanting to cry out to Jason.

Kaldur whistled, and the woman who had been the one to lead Dick to Black Manta turned her head from where she was sitting next to Jason. Jason turned his head too and Dick felt his heart jump in his throat, because even from such a distance he could make out the longing and hope in Jason's eyes. He shifted forward, almost unaware.

“Done so quickly?” a new voice said and both Kaldur and Dick turned. Dick swallowed down his panic as Black Manta approached. “Does he please you or not, son?”

“I thought you would like me to experience my own party,” Kaldur said.

“Have you made a decision then?” Black Manta asked.

“I have not had the time,” Kaldur said and Dick couldn't move, forcing himself to stay still and keep his eyes down. “I can hardly try him to my satisfaction and attend the party.”

“Of course,” his father said, accepting that before he reached his hand out and Dick knew what to expect before those fingers were back on his chin again. He let his head be tipped back, wondering exactly when Black Manta would grow tired of looking at him. “However, if you do not buy him, I cannot say that others would not.”

“Like yourself?” Kaldur asked and Dick couldn't stop himself from tensing and hoped Black Manta had not noticed.

“Yes,” Black Manta said, and his helmet inclined slightly.

He dropped his hand and Dick let his head fall again, heart jackrabbiting in his chest. “Do let me know by the end of the night,” Black Manta said and walked away. Dick and Kaldur were left at the landing, both standing still.

“Would he?” Dick whispered.

“Yes,” Kaldur said. “Yes he would.”

“Can we still?” Dick started.

“We can try,” Kaldur said, turning to look at him. “But if he has decided he wants you if I do not, I am uncertain if we can get you out.”

“The way Garth went,” Dick started.

“Perhaps,” Kaldur said and then paused. “But he would be very angry at anyone who took something he wanted away. I'm not sure we could get you out of the city, and I'm not sure what would happen to anyone caught helping you try to leave.”

Dick nodded, heart in his throat. “So what do we do?”

“Get your master first,” Kaldur said. He turned away from the landing and Dick looked frantically over to where Jason and the woman were approaching them. Kaldur met them at the bottom of the stairs.

Jason ignored him, going straight for Dick who was swaying slightly, realizing he was very likely trapped. “Dick,” he said urgently. “Dick, are you alright?” and his hands were holding Dick's shoudlers, warm and heavy and Dick swayed again.

“Fine, I'm fine,” he said.

“Did he,” Jason started, glaring at Kaldur who gazed back impassively at him.

“No,” Dick whispered, pressing his mouth against Jason's ear. “No, that's not our problem.”

“There's a problem?” Jason asked, fingers digging into Dick's biceps and he wanted to tuck his head into the crook of Jason's neck and never move from there again.

“Black Manta wants to buy me if he doesn't,” he whispered, and Kaldur's face looked like it was carved out of stone.

“No,” Jason growled.

“Not much of a choice, Jay,” Dick whispered.

They finally parted, and had been speaking just as quietly to the woman in question. “We will have to appear in the party for a while,” he said. “Before I can even try and get you out the side door. However, since my father has made his intentions clear it is unlikely—”

“Damn you,” Jason rumbled. “ _Damn_ you—”

“Jason,” Dick said quickly because he had taken a step toward Kaldur, who just cocked his head slightly. “Don't, it's not his fault—” He had his hand on Jason's arm, tugging him back and the woman was giving him a strange look for daring to pull his master back so he quickly dropped Jason's arm.

“I just do not know what to do,” Kaldur said softly.

Dick looked at him, glad they were still mostly in shadows. “Tell me,” he said quietly, urgently. “That you're not just saying that to keep me here.”

“Honestly,” Kaldur met his eyes. “If I wanted to keep you here and demand your help there are much easier ways.” He reached forward, wrapping an arm around Dick's waist and yanking him to his side, ignoring the confused and alarmed look on the woman's face and Jason's glare. “We have a few more hours to try and figure something out. Until then—”

“We act,” Dick said and looked at Jason. “I promise, I'll explain, you just have to keep playing along.”

“Right,” Jason ground out and Dick realized the woman was signing something at Kaldur who cut her off with a quick hand motion.

“Later, Artemis,” he said softly and she stiffened before nodding.

Arm still around his waist, Kaldur led Dick out into the garden, all the courtiers roaring something in approval and Dick kept his eyes down, wishing it was Jason's side he was pressed to, instead of this strangers. At least he knew what to expect with Jason.

Even if Kaldur was warm and the desert night air cool against his bare skin.

Kaldur sat them both at the large table that Dick had only glanced at before, wide and heavy with food. At first they both paused, unsure if Dick was allowed to sit beside him or on the ground beside him, but other men and women with collars were sitting next to those with their arms around them, and so Kaldur settled him into a chair.

After that it was several hours of listening to chatter that Kaldur almost never engaged in, and trying not to stare at Jason across the garden.

“You don't look like you're enjoying your party,” Dick said after a moment, pressing his nose against Kaldur's ear.

Kaldur jumped, and turned a dark look at him. Dick blinked and the line of his shoulders sagged slightly. “It is an Atlantis party,” Kaldur said, leaning close to whisper back into Dick's ear. “It's not geared for my enjoyment.”

“Say, prince,” one of the nobles said and they both jumped slightly. “Does your slave have any talents?”

“He is not mine yet,” Kaldur said, seriously, and Dick had already heard courtiers complaining where their prince could hear them of how serious he was. “So if he does, it is not the time to show them off first.”

“Should we expect to see you at all in the next week then?” the noble asked, leering at them and Dick tensed, but he left his arm draped over Kaldur still nuzzling idly against his neck.

“I will not forget my duties,” Kaldur said stiffly and the noble snorted.

“You can take a break every once and a while,” he said. “No one will blame you. He is quite something to look at. One can hope his skills are on par with that.”

Dick tightened his hand into a fist under the table and startled when Kaldur rested his own hand against his, smoothing his fingers out. Giving him a surprised look, Kaldur refused to look back at him so Dick rested his head against his shoulder again, hoping it looked like a relaxed sprawl.

Across the garden he watched Jason pace back and forth.

Finally, when others started to leave, Black Manta approached again, something easy and confident in his posture, even though he had not taken his helmet off.

“Father,” Kaldur greeted and Dick straightened himself quickly.

“Son,” Black Manta greeted. “Are you pleased?”

“Of course, father,” Kaldur said and Dick glanced at him before focusing on his hands. Underneath the table, he realized Kaldur's hand had never left his own.

“And my gift?” Black Manta asked.

“The night is still early,” Kaldur said. “But he is obedient and pleasing to the eyes.”

“He will still have to be taught much,” Black Manta said, nodding. “But I am glad of it.” He paused, eyeing his son before leaning closer so fewer could hear them. “However. Before you get any ideas like the ones that so often enter your head, I was serious earlier. He is your gift. But if you try and sneak him out from underneath me out of some misplaced sense of doing him good, I will go after him and those that have helped him. You stayed with Oliver Queen, did you not?”

Dick felt his jaw drop. “My master knew him from Star City, back in the day,” he said. “They do not get along anymore. It was a brief stay.”

Kaldur's fingers were white around his own.

“So you might not mind a threat against them,” Black Manta said. “But the threat stands. He stays here, Kaldur,” and he leaned back. “But please do let me know.”

“I will, Father,” Kaldur said and he walked away, leaving them sitting together in silent fury and pain, while everyone else around them started making toasts and fireworks went off in the sky.

Across the garden, Dick's eyes caught movement and he froze to realize Slade Wilson was leaning against one of the pillars, talking amiably with Black Manta. When he caught Dick's eyes, Slade only smiled at him and Dick felt the bottom drop out of his stomach.

“Come,” Kaldur said abruptly, dragging Dick to his feet, and gesturing something to Artemis who nodded her understanding. Sliding his arm back around Dick's waist, Kaldur led him back up the stairs, ignoring the sounds of the party behind them. By the time they reached the room Kaldur had been in earlier, Dick was shaking.

“That man, Slade Wilson,” he said. “Do you—”

“He works with the Warlords,” Kaldur said. “He goes between cities, relying information and doing jobs for them.”

Dick sat down hard, fumbling out until he found one of the couches. “ _Fuck_ ,” he said with feeling.

“What is it?” Kaldur said, following him.

“He knows I'm not a slave,” Dick said. “He knows, he—I don't know what else he knows.”

Kaldur stared at him. “My father was talking to him before. I don't know if that has anything to do with his insistence on keeping you here, but I doubt it. If he knew you weren't a slave he would have you executed or bought, not, not the threat he offered.”

Dick shivered and nodded. “He still knows.”

Kaldur nodded, dipping his head. “Dick, I don't know how to get you out of here without pulling out Queen and his people too.”

“I know,” Dick said. “I know, I don't want to risk them either.”

“But you want to go back to Gotham,” Kaldur said, not a question.

“Yes,” Dick whispered. “I do. I _do_. God,” and he buried his face in his hands. Kaldur let him.

“I told Artemis to bring your master up here in a little while,” Kaldur said. “Long enough for us to have—” Dick nodded numbly. “I'll leave you alone until then,” Kaldur murmured and moved to another place in the room, pulling out a book and settling into a far corner.

Bringing his knees up to his chest, Dick rested his forehead on his knees and tried not to focus on his swirling, panicked thoughts until Jason burst into the room. He came to a standstill when Kaldur stood, Dick's head snapping up.

“Have you made a decision, prince?” Jason growled and Dick was on his feet, throwing his arms around Jason's neck. “Dick?” Jason asked, voice small. “Dick, are you okay?”

“I can't leave,” Dick said. “I can't leave, Black Manta already threatened Ollie, his whole family, he knew we stayed there.”

“What?” Artemis asked, and Jason's arms convulsively tightened around Dick.

“Dick, what the fuck is going on?” Jason asked.

“If Kaldur doesn't buy me, his father will,” Dick said, standing on his toes to press his nose against Jason's neck. “He threatened everyone we came into contact with since entering the city if anyone tried to sneak me out of here.”

“That's fine, I'm not leaving you, they can take care of themselves,” Jason started and Dick hit him in the chest.

“For fuck's sake, Jason,” he said, his arm going back up around his neck.

“We'd lose too much,” Kaldur said suddenly. “Loosing Queen where he is. And it would mean their deaths, most likely. And we'd be unable to get any of you out of the city.”

“Dick I'm not leaving you here,” Jason said, glaring at Kaldur, who stared steadily back.

Making a strangled sound, Dick turned his head to slam their mouths together, fingers curled around the back of Jason's neck and he melded his body against his, Jason's hands coming to rest low on his hips as he kissed him back. Opening his mouth, Dick swallowed down Jason's moan before he pulled back.

“Jason, listen to me,” Dick said, urgently. “We might be able to think of something. But for tonight, please, don't fight Black Manta. Please, go home and I'll try, I swear, I'll try and contact you.”

“We will try and find a way to get him out,” Kaldur said behind Dick. “I promise, this isn't about keeping him.” Dick glanced back at him and Kaldur's expression had barely changed.

“If we can't,” Dick said, looking back at Jason.

“I won't allow that to happen,” Jason said.

“ _If_ we can't,” Dick repeated. “If you can find a way out of this city take it. Go back to Gotham, _please_ , for me. Tell them where I am.”

“I'm not going back without you,” Jason growled, pressing his nose against Dick's hair and Dick finally dropped himself back down to his heels.

“I'm sorry,” Kaldur said suddenly, looking out the window and toward the stairs. “But there are guards coming. Jason, you'll have to leave with them.”

Jason glared at him and looked back at Dick. “Promise me you're not lying to make me feel better or to keep me alive.”

“I promise,” Dick whispered, not wanting to let go yet. “Please, Jason, he's just trying to protect us.”

“Which means leaving you here.”

“For now,” Dick agreed. “Jason—”

Swearing viciously, Jason tightened his grip around Dick before he forced himself to step back. “I'm coming back for you,” he promised. “I'm not leaving you here.” Dick gave him a watery smile as Artemis stared at them in confusion by the front door.

“I know,” he whispered and Jason stepped away as the guards knocked.

“We're here to escort him off the premises,” the head guard said and Kaldur nodded, gesturing for Jason to follow them.

With another long look at Dick, Jason nodded and turned to follow them.

“They're not going to hurt him, are they?” Dick asked.

“No,” Kaldur said. “No, they won't. That's not their orders.”

“Good,” Dick said and let his legs give out, sitting down where he was with his legs folded up underneath him. For a second Kaldur left him there, before he reached a hand out.

“Come,” he said. “We should go to bed.”

Dick gave his hand a long look, before flickering his eyes up to meet his, and slowly he slid his hand in Kaldur's and let Kaldur pull him to his feet.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Like Father Like Son" from the AIDA musical came up on shuffle today at work and I might have just put my head in my hands and keened because there is no more Kaldur and Black Manta song out there.

Ollie jogged after Jason as he stormed inside. “What are you doing?” he asked. “You were supposed to stay away, I thought?”

Jason picked up the nearest thing to him—one of the kitchen chairs—and threw it against the far wall.

“Where's Dick?” Ollie asked after a beat, when the crashing sound brought the others running down, Roy last on the stairs and his gaze dark and heavy.

“The prince didn't, did he?” Roy asked, as Connor bent down to righten the chair.

“I have to get him out of there!” Jason roared. “I'm not leaving him in that fucking palace to be a _slave_ , I won't!”

Ollie rocked back on his heels, and Connor froze, still halfway through putting the chair to rights. He stood there, holding it as Mia slowly started prowling toward Ollie. “Mia,” Ollie started.

“We aren't, are we?” she said, voice dangerously low.

“I'm not sure what exactly you expect us to do about it,” Ollie said, leveling first Mia and then Jason with a look. “We're playing a long game. We can't just storm the damn palace!”

“Has he paid you for Dick yet?” Roy asked. “We might have time if that's true—”

“You want to argue with the prince?” Ollie demanded.

“I don't care how, I don't care what happens, I am not leaving,” Jason started, when there was a sound at the door and a sharp whistle. Roy paused, looking at Ollie before he hit the wall beside him in a quick rhythm.

Another whistle, pitched lower and Ollie opened the door, a curly dark haired man ducking through. “I came as quickly as I could,” he said.

“Garth,” Roy said. “What is it? What's wrong?”

“Dick Grayson,” Garth said and Jason froze.

“You know his name?” he hissed, turning to the stranger he had never seen before and even Roy looked a little pale.

Ollie looked like he wanted to throw something, and Connor shifted slightly to be between his father and the chairs. “Are you telling me—you aren't telling my _Dick Grayson_ was living under my roof?” he turned to Jason. “And _you—_ ”

“And me what?” Jason snarled, Roy's face stony.

“I knew he must have been something!” Ollie said. “No one moves like that who can't fight, but Grayson is supposed to be Wayne's second. You don't—” He paused. “And he's at the _palace_?”

Garth turned dark eyes to Jason. “You care about him a great deal, I can see that. But there might not be any way to get him out—”

“I refuse to believe that,” Jason said, fists tight at his side. “And I dare you to try and stop me.”

“If I stop you it will be to save your life!” Garth said. “I came to tell you, just that—look, things aren't entirely as they seem.”

“Aren't they?” Jason asked. “I don't care what they look like, I'm getting him out of there!”

“You're very stubbornly stupid, you know that?” Garth asked.

“Jason, Garth is the only contact we have in the palace,” Connor said. “He knows the most out of anyone what goes on there.”

“I was there tonight,” Garth said. “That's how I know who he is.”

Jason stopped, frowning at Garth for a second. “And how did you find that out?” He paled, trying to figure out what the prince had been talking about. “And who else knows?”

Garth bit his lip. “Can I speak to you?” he asked. “In private?”

Ollie's eyes narrowed. “You're protecting someone.”

“If I am there's a reason,” Garth replied. “And you cannot ask me to tell you. But this idiot is going to get himself killed.”

“Garth,” Mia said quietly, angry. “You're talking about leaving a man in there as a sex slave.”

“I know exactly what I'm doing,” Garth said, and gestured Jason in front of him. For a moment Jason just glared at him before stomping up the stairs. Garth kept going all the way to the roof and Jason found his eyes drawn across the city almost unerringly toward the palace.

“So tell me,” he demanded, turning back to Garth, who stood quiet beside him. “What can you possibly say to make me feel better about this?”

“Do you know how I figured out who he was?” Garth asked.

“You know I don't so cut to it,” Jason said.

Garth tipped his head. “I have a contact in the palace itself. But you have to promise me, you have to swear not to tell anyone else.”

“Because they're important?” Jason asked.

“Yes,” Garth said.

“Look, I don't care about them, one way or another, I just care about Dick.”

“Promise me,” Garth insisted.

“Fine,” Jason snapped. “I won't reveal your contact to anyone, cross my fucking heart.”

Garth's face twitched but he nodded. “I know because Kaldur knows,” and Jason tensed all at once. “He's my contact.”

“He's the prince,” Jason hissed. “That's his father.”

“I know,” Garth said. “Believe me, we all know. That's why no one—that's why as few people as possible know. If more did it could be—Black Manta wouldn't balk at executing his own son. When your friend was presented to Kaldur they talked themselves into revealing too much together. But I'm telling you this to promise you that Kaldur—he would not be doing this if he thought he could get him out of there. And I know he won't hurt him.”

Jason stared at him, seeing his earnest face in the electric lights and only a few nights ago he had stood on this roof with Dick, watching the lights play off his expression and now things had gone so wrong, so fast Jason could barely keep up with them.

“I don't care,” he said finally. “I just don't care.” He pushed himself past Garth, who made a shocked sound. “But I won't tell your secret,” he added, storming down the stairs and past Ollie and his family, back out into the night air.

-0-

Dick trailed after Kaldur, trying not to tip his head back around each corner. “You look surprised,” Kaldur said and Dick forced his eyes forward.

“It's different,” he said. “Everything here is very different.”

“Yes it is,” Kaldur said, looking away and Dick tipped his head to one side, considering Kaldur's back.

When they turned another corner and came to a large bedroom, Dick stopped. He found himself rubbing his left wrist through the gauze as he looked around, the large bed dominating most of the room, and bookshelves fit into a corner as if they did not belong. Just past the room, he saw another, smaller room and thought he glimpsed a pool like the one Black Manta had him bathe in.

“This is also different,” Dick said after a beat.

Kaldur's shoulders sagged and he closed the door behind Dick. “This is all my suite,” he said. “From the office where we started to here.”

“That's,” Dick stared at him. “Five? Six? Different rooms?”

“At least,” Kaldur agreed.

Dick walked down the steps that lined the room, still looking around. “And all this electricity.”

“Gotham is so different?” Kaldur asked and Dick bit back a laugh, turning to face Kaldur who still stood at the top of the steps.

“Is it safe in here?” Dick asked.

“For now,” Kaldur said. “In the morning servants will come to check,” he paused. “But for now they will be leaving us alone.”

He winced as he spoke and Dick fought to keep from doing the same. “I'm not going to be able to get away with sleeping on the floor, am I?” he asked.

“Probably not,” Kaldur said. “But you can at least,” and he gestured at Dick's jewelry. “Take most of that off. The collar I can't—even here—take off.”

“Yeah,” Dick said, and dropped the heavy gold bracelet Black Manta had given him off. He paused over the smaller one Jason had bought but took that off too. He sat on one of the couches, pulling his boots off and stopped. “If they come in the morning,” he started and stopped again.

“Yes,” Kaldur agreed, and he turned away, pulling his own shirt off. Dick tilted his head, watching the muscles in his back before he looked away. Twisting his mouth he rose, pushing the pants he wore down and crawling into the large bed with the gauze still wrapped around his wrists.

Kaldur had waited for him, so Dick did him the favor of rolling to his side with his back to Kaldur. After a moment Kaldur climbed into the bed and Dick felt the mattress dip but couldn't feel the heat of him at all. The lights had gone out, except for one dim glow beside Kaldur.

“I'm sorry,” Kaldur said suddenly. “I did not mean for this to happen. I did not wish for this to happen.”

“Do you think they'll notice it doesn't smell like sex?” Dick asked instead.

There was silence over his shoulder. “We'll wet some towels in the morning. I'm known for being fastidious and the windows are open.”

“Even to the point of cleaning up towels in the afterglow?” Dick asked, and looked over his shoulder at that.

“Yes,” Kaldur said, expression serious.

Even though he was tense, lying in bed with a stranger who had all the power over him, Dick turned over to face him. “You didn't grow up here, did you?”

“In the palace?” Kaldur asked. “No. I did not.” He paused, watching Dick in the glow of the lamp and Dick burrowed his shoulders under the thin blankets a bit more. “Would you,” Kaldur started.

“What?” Dick asked when he had not said anything in too long.

“Tell me about Gotham?” Kaldur asked.

Dick pulled his knees up against his chest, resting the tips of his fingers against the heavy gold collar. “I don't think you'd like to hear it,” he said. “It's not the sort of place you're probably imagining.”

“Is it free?”

“Some times,” Dick said. “In most ways. When they allow themselves to be.”

“Then I wish to hear of it,” Kaldur said.

“It's hard there,” Dick said finally. “There's not much to go around and its constantly at war with itself. At night, it's lit by fires, not electricity like this.”

“And Bruce Wayne?” Kaldur asked and Dick pressed his cheek hard against the pillow for a moment.

“He would probably be astounded to realize he's a hero outside of Gotham,” Dick said, shaking his head. “Hell. I never realized it either. Gotham is so insular I didn't even know electricity still existed. I'd read about it, and we have a creaky old generator the hospital uses but,” he shook his head again. “Bruce tries. He's,” Dick shook his head. “I don't know how to talk about him. He raised me.”

“I'm sorry,” Kaldur said. “I shouldn't have—”

“No, it's fine,” Dick said. “I just, can't figure out how to talk about the most important people to me in my life. Everyone's always known each other.”

“You lived in a small world,” Kaldur said and he seemed to be considering something. “Why did you come here?” he asked. “If you did not want to leave Gotham?”

“I was kidnapped,” Dick said, and rolled his shoulder, showing Kaldur where the knife had gone into his bicep that had almost totally healed. “And well, we got lost. There was no compass and we were running out of supplies.” He quirked the corner of his mouth up. “This seemed like a good idea.”

“I'm sorry,” Kaldur said and Dick rolled over again. He wanted Jason, he wanted the steady breathing he was used to beside him and found himself clutching the blankets tightly. After a moment, Kaldur reached out and turned the lamp off.

-0-

In the morning Dick woke up, blearily trying to figure out when he had actually fallen asleep. He nuzzled against the form at his side and slowly realized it wasn't Jason.

“Shit,” he breathed, pushing back and Kaldur blinked up at him, as if he had just woken up himself. “ _Shit_ ,” Dick repeated.

“Oh,” Kaldur said, as if he was only now remembering last night too.

Pushing himself up, Dick wrapped his arms around his knees, pulling the blankets with him. Beside him, Kaldur remained still and the minuted ticked past them.

“Alright,” Dick said after he got his breathing back under control. “So. What are we going to do?”

“What do you mean?” Kaldur asked.

“You're trying to run a revolution, aren't you?” Dick asked, looking over before he rose, pulling the top blanket with him and Kaldur was looking at the ceiling too obviously. “And I'm going to have to play a part. So. We might as well get started.” Kaldur's pale eyes blinked at him and he finally pushed himself up too.

“Are you—?”

“Yes,” Dick said. “I'm sure.”

“Alright,” Kaldur said, pushing himself up too. For a second they stared at each other, Dick holding the blanket against his chest. “We shall get started.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the problem with working 12 hour days right now is the tiny amount of free time you get each evening. Like, you can watch tv, read, or write. Choose wisely, you can only do one. 
> 
> Which is basically why there are no review replies yet. They're coming I promise but it was reply to people or post a new chapter tonight. I'm very excited about talking to everyone tomorrow when it's finally my weekend. 
> 
> Listening to the Prince of Egypt soundtrack on the way home today was perhaps a mistake, incidentally.

“You'll need different clothes,” Kaldur said, leading Dick through the half open door at the back. He had pulled his pants back on from the night before. “I'll see if any can be found quickly for the next few days.”

“These aren't,” Dick started and shook his head at himself when Kaldur turned around. “Sorry. Been in the desert for a while.” Kaldur tilted his head at him, almost as if in slight confusion and Dick dropped it. “So what am I supposed to do while you look for that?”

“You could take a bath,” Kaldur said. “I will try to have returned by the time you are finished.”

Dick finally looked over at the pool in the center of the room. “In—that?”

Kaldur turned around to stare at him. “Are you not used to bathing pools?”

“No,” Dick said, and knelt down on the edge of the pool, sliding his hand through the water and was shocked to feel it warm. “Is—is this always filled like this?”

“Yes,” Kaldur said. “It's heated from below.”

“And you just—can get in to it? Any time?” Dick asked, and remembered the night before when Black Manta had ordered him into a pool just as large. But to hear he was supposed to do it again that morning, and to have access to that all the time made his head feel like it was spinning.

“Do you not have this in Gotham?” Kaldur asked and Dick barked out a laugh.

“Our wash tub is about big enough for you to sit in if you scrunch up, and the water is always cold,” Dick said. “It's not a regular luxury we can afford.”

“Well,” Kaldur said, looking away. “You're welcome to it whenever you like.”

Still a little unsure, Dick sat at the edge of the pool, sliding his feet into it. “Thank you,” he said, and turned his head to see Kaldur watching him. “What?”

“You have an awful lot of scars,” Kaldur said, then more uncomfortably. “And more recent wounds.”

Dick tilted his head back to his shoulder which had left a nasty looking mark that was slowly fading. The line on his bicep had at least healed cleanly. “It was a bad day,” he said, looking at his wrists and deciding that while he was in Atlantis it would be better just to keep them hidden as much as possible.

“Day?” Kaldur asked.

Dick shrugged. “Maybe more than just one day. I think it took me three days to dislocate my fingers to get my hands free.”

Kaldur blinked and Dick tried not to feel some strange victory at making him uncomfortable. He was starting to realize all too quickly how easy that would be. “Take a bath,” he said. “I'll be back shortly.”

When he left, closing the door of the bedroom behind him, Dick kicked his leg through the water, considering if he should do as Kaldur asked, or if he should explore the room. He drummed his fingers against the side of the pool and decided against pushing yet.

Especially if those servants Kaldur had mentioned appeared and found him climbing the walls and looking for secret passageways.

With a sigh he rose, stretching his back and sliding his pants off and climbing into the pool.

He was still there when Kaldur returned, almost asleep again. “Are you alright?” Kaldur asked from the doorway.

“Uh-huh,” Dick managed, and tipped his head back. He tried to consider the bundle Kaldur carried and couldn't figure out the clothes looked like. “Did you have success?”

“Some,” Kaldur said. “It will do for the first couple days.”

“Just a couple?” Dick asked, quirking his brows up and Kaldur nodded. “Alright,” he said, a little lost at what that implied.

“I”ll leave them here,” Kaldur said and left.

Dick wanted to stay exactly where he was, the warm water practically embracing him and soothing his sore muscles, but he pushed himself out of the pool and poked through the pile of clothes Kaldur had left, trying not to wince.

“Might as well get used to it,” he muttered and dressed quickly before rejoining Kaldur in the bedroom, Kaldur steadily staring at the far wall, and only turning when Dick cleared his throat. “Is it safe to talk here?” Dick asked.

“As safe as anywhere,” Kaldur said.

“How can you be sure?” Dick asked, and he looked around now that he could see the room in the light of day.

“Because the things that have been spoken of in here would have long since resulted in executions,” Kaldur said, and Dick turned back to him.

“Even considering your father?”

“Perhaps especially so,” Kaldur said and Dick tilted his head. Before he could say anything else, the door opened and Artemis walked through, her expression furious.

“You've been avoiding me all morning, prince,” she said, barely even sparing a look for Dick and he bit the inside of his cheek instead of saying anything.

“I, yes,” Kaldur said.

“Want to explain yourself yet?” she demanded, hands on her hips and eyes narrowed. Dick sat on the edge of the bed, leaning back on his hands and watching them. “You said you would, right? Tell me why you _lost your mind_?”

“I have not,” Kaldur said.

“Than what is he?” she demanded, pointing at Dick.

“A human being, presumably,” Dick muttered and she stared at him, surprise flooding her features.

“Artemis, I promise, there was no other option.”

“Look, I understand wanting to save someone from their master, but the point of that is letting them go afterwards,” she said. “Not having them stay the night with you!”

“That's not an option,” Kaldur said.

“Why the hell not?” she demanded. “I mean, his master didn't seem bad enough for these drastic,” she paused, looking over at him and seeming to linger on the scars. Dick scowled at her, but kept his mouth shut after the first look she had given him.

“Because it is either this or my father,” Kaldur said.

“So what are you going to do with him?” Artemis asked and Dick sucked the inside of his cheek, watching them from where he sat.

Kaldur paused, glancing at Dick and Dick frowned at the expression on his face, but he didn't speak up in time to stop Kaldur from whatever he was about to say. “I'm not technically going to do anything with him, as he's Dick Grayson.”

Dick startled and glared at him, which meant he almost missed Artemis' expression. “What the fuck?” Dick managed.

“There's no way,” Artemis said, though she couldn't take her eyes off Dick now.

“How does that name mean anything?” Dick demanded and then narrowed his eyes at Kaldur. “You're not going to keep telling people that, are you?”

“No,” Kaldur said.

“Good,” Dick snapped.

Aretmis squinted at him. “You really—You're not a pleasure slave. But Dick Grayson? You expect me to believe some random boy from Gotham—”

“Boy?” Dick repeated, and crossed his arms over his chest. “Alright, firstly, I've not adjusted to _everyone_ in this city knowing my name. And secondly, I'm not a boy.”

“You're awfully young,” Artemis snapped. “What proof do we have you are what you say?”

Dick blinked. “I honestly have no idea,” he said after a beat. “Because I have literally never thought about having to prove my identity to anyone, because as far as I knew until just a little while ago, no one would have ever heard of me!”

“Well that's hard to believe,” Artemis said.

“Not if you actually live in Gotham,” Dick shot back.

A knock came at the door, and they all turned abruptly.

“Prince,” someone's heavy voice said. “Your father requests you and your new property.”

Dick bit the inside of his cheek and rose in one fluid motion. In return, Kaldur looked queasy for a moment before turning to the door. “Follow behind me,” he said quietly. “Just a few steps.”

“Alright,” Dick said, and rolled his shoulders forward slightly, trying to look smaller. Kaldur glanced at him again, something like panic at the edge of his expression before he opened the door and walked through, head held high and shoulders back, and Dick followed.

This time he didn't feel as tempted to look around, simply keeping his eyes on Kaldur's shoulder blades through the thin shirt he wore. When they entered the same room that Dick had been led to the night before, he managed not to look up at the skeleton.

“Ah, Kaldur,” Black Manta said, and he still wore his mask. Dick looked at Kaldur out of the corner of his eyes and wondered if there was any similarity between them, behind that mask. “So you decided then?”

“Yes,” Kaldur said.

“And you are pleased?” Black Manta asked. “I finally found something to catch your eye?”

“You have a very good eye,” Kaldur said quietly.

Dick shifted, feeling the space between his shoulders itch and knew someone was close behind him.

“Of course I do,” Black Manta said. “But so rarely do you agree. We will have to find his master again then, and actually pay him.”

“That is generous of you,” Kaldur remarked, tone idle.

Black Manta laughed again, and looked at Dick, who made sure to look down. “He's not well trained, however.”

“No,” Kaldur agreed. “But we are the best place for that, aren't we?”

“Indeed,” Black Manta said and waved a hand. Dick thought he saw Kaldur jump too out of his periphery when he was grabbed from behind.

“Father—” Kaldur started.

“He's not branded,” Black Manta said, tone idle and it took everything for Dick to stay limp instead of fighting his way out of the hold. And he could have, he knew exactly how to. He would have to twist, and kick out the knee cap of the first guard and then—

But he held still, two guard holding him.

“He must be,” Kaldur protested.

“Not in a way worthy of our house,” Black Manta replied and Dick hung his head and did not scream when he felt something burn into his shoulder, which he realized had been left open by the clothing Kaldur brought. He figured, dizzy through the pain, that all the clothes were probably like that for a reason.

“Father, this was _unnecessary_ ,” Kaldur said.

“He has a high tolerance for pain,” Black Manta remarked, idle and Dick wanted to bare his teeth and snarl at him. Instead he hung his head and let the guards keep holding onto him. “Interesting. I suppose with the number of scars he has, that is not so surprising.”

“I suppose life is different in the desert,” Kaldur said stiffly.

“And are you not glad you never had to experience it?” Black Manta asked, and his mask tilted as he looked at his son.

For a moment Kaldur did not move. “Yes,” he said finally. “Was there something else father? I had a long night and I am tired.”

Black Manta waved a hand and Dick cringed when he felt something against his throat, over the collar. It felt like something slicing into him and then just as abruptly that pain was gone, leaving only behind the throb of burned skin. “Now we're done.”

Kaldur motioned angrily at the guards who let go of Dick. He swayed, trying to get his feet back and Kaldur caught his arm, which at least gave him some balance. “Come,” he said, still angry and Dick let him drag him out of the room and back the way they came.

“I did not expect that,” Kaldur said, staring straight ahead.

“The second thing,” Dick said, trying to keep his voice quiet. “What was it?”

Kaldur's hand tightened on his arm, and people were staring as he dragged his dazed slave after him. “A tracker.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hurt myself, so I must spread that pain around to everyone else too.

Dick sat down on the edge of the bed again, staring blankly at the far wall. “Here,” Kaldur said, reaching for him and Dick shifted along the bed instead. “I'm trying to help. The burn—”

“Anything you do right now will probably be a bad idea,” Dick said instead. “Isn't that the point?”

“You're risking infection by not covering it,” Kaldur snapped. “Every newly branded slave walks around with it like that for a while. If you were concerned with me appearing weak, you can stop.”

Dick looked at him sideways for a long moment before he gave a jerky nod. “Fine,” he said.

Gingerly, Kaldur sat down beside him, pushing the shoulder of the sleeveless shirt further to one side. “It went on clean,” he said.

“How wonderful,” Dick muttered.

He refused to look back at Kadur as he covered the brand in gauze, taping down the sides and Dick felt a little disturbed by the fact all these materials were already in Kaldur's rooms. “So you've never had your own slave before?” he asked, staring at the wall.

“No,” Kaldur said.

“How exactly does that work, being the prince of Atlantis?” Dick asked, tilting to the side from where Kaldur sat, still staring at the wall.

“Sometimes poorly,” Kaldur said.

“No one at your party seemed to like you much,” Dick remarked.

“Are you circling around to a point?” Kaldur asked, something leaking into his tone.

“I'm just trying to figure out the playing field,” Dick said.

“You know,” Kaldur said. “Artemis was right earlier. There is no real way for us to know you're who you say you are. We know so little of Gotham, it's hardly like we have more than a vague description of you, or Dick Grayson rather.”

Dick blinked at the wall. “I have never had to prove who I was,” he said. “Not sure I could, actually.”

“You could be anyone,” Kaldur said and there was something harsh in his tone, buried under what could have been fear and Dick moved, suddenly twisting and his shoulder screamed in pain but he managed to roll himself and Kaldur both off the bed in one jerky movement, and pin him to the ground.

“Yeah, I could,” he said, and when Kaldur tried to flail out at him, Dick caught his arm easily. “But I'm from Gotham. And I can fight.”

“Let me up,” Kaldur said.

“I'm pretty sure anyone pretending to be me in this situation would be very stupid,” Dick continued, still pinning Kaldur to the ground and Kaldur tried to buck up against him but Dick had all the leverage and slammed him back down.

“It got me to trust you,” Kaldur said. “To save you. A slave trying to escape—”

“You'd already offered to buy me to free me,” Dick pointed out. “This would just be insanity. You don't have to believe me though, it's not like I trust you either.”

“Have I done anything—” Kaldur snapped, actually allowing anger to leak into his voice and Dick blinked.

“Not yet,” he said, and rose to his feet all at once. “But there's time yet.”

“I am not the one who will hurt you,” Kaldur said, climbing to his feet less gracefully.

“That remains to be seen,” Dick said, crossing his arms over his chest and suppressing the wince when he pulled his shoulder again.

They stared at each other, and Dick took several steps backward just to put more room between them. “I really do have no intention of hurting you,” Kaldur said after a while and Dick shrugged.

“But it's just an intention.”

Kaldur stared at him and Dick couldn't figure out if his expression was simply flat or angry. “You should rest,” he said and Dick shook his head.

“No, I'm fine,” he said. “Resting isn't—it's not what I want to do right now.”

“Than what do you want to do?” Kaldur asked.

“Give me something,” Dick said. “I need—information. I know barely nothing about this place. If I'm going to be of help to you, or avoid getting myself killed, I need to know how to act like a slave, and how to navigate Atlantis.”

“So you will help us,” Kaldur said.

“I'm here, aren't I?” Dick asked. “I might as well. From what Ollie said, Arthur Curry is trying to do what Bruce did once, only, I hope, better.”

“Better?” Kaldur asked and Dick's eyes darted away. “What do you mean? He saved Gotham from the warlords, didn't he?”

“And then he let it burn,” Dick said quietly. “Look, I said last night that Gotham isn't what you think it is. It never was, and I don't think it ever will be. So if you want to make this place better, you're going to have to figure out how to achieve that on your own terms, not Gotham's. And I can't help if I don't understand.”

After a moment more of staring at him, Kaldur turned, moving to his bookcase and pulling down two slender volumes. “These might be a start,” he said. “Since no one is actually expecting to see me in the coming days, we can discuss training and behavior.”

“Good,” Dick said, and curled his hands around the books, feeling a rush of thankfulness he tried to push aside.

“Those are books my father commissioned of Atlantis,” Kaldur continued. “Whether they're true or not, perhaps they will help you.”

Dick nodded and then paused, because Kaldur was not quite looking at him. “I'm sorry,” he said. “For knocking you off the bed like that.”

“Well, one way or another you proved you have a high tolerance for pain and no small amount of training,” Kaldur said, and the corner of his mouth twitched. “It's fine.”

“Still doubting I am who I say I am?” Dick asked.

“You don't trust me yet either,” Kaldur said and Dick sat down on one of the couches, curling his legs under him and opening one of the books rather than reply. After a pause, Kaldur walked into the next room and closed the door after himself.

Once he was gone Dick buried his face in his hands.

-0-

He had read the first third of one of the books when Kaldur threw the door back open with a frantic expression. “You should come.”

“What?” Dick asked, already on his feet. “What's happening?”

“My father insisted on buying you,” he said. “Which means your former master is here.”

“Jason,” Dick said and he started to run before he realized he shouldn't and Kaldur caught his arm again, marching them quickly down the halls together. “What's going to happen?” he asked.

“I don't know,” Kaldur said.

They entered the same office as Dick had that morning, and the night before and he had no inclination to look around, his eyes trained instantly on Jason. Who had turned to look at him when the door opened to admit them and Dick felt like someone had kicked him in the chest when Jason's eyes met his.

“You don't seem pleased to be giving up your slave,” Black Manta remarked.

“Would you be?” Jason asked, turning back around and he was alone. For a second Dick wished Roy or one of the others had come with him. “After all, you see the value in him too.”

“Which you are being compensated for,” Black Manta reminded him. “Kaldur. Can I help you with someone.”

“Just coming to make certain things are being handled fairly,” Kaldur said and Dick was starting to recognize the tone of voice he only seemed to use around his father.

“Do you doubt me?” Black Manta asked.

“I've never had the basis to judge how you buy slaves from their former owners before,” Kaldur said and Dick was trying to keep his expression blank as he stared at the line of Jason's shoulders.

Black Manta shrugged, before rising. He picked up a bag that had been on his desk. “This is gold, a currency you can use just about anywhere without the association with Atlantis.”

“Thank you,” Jason said stiffly.

“My sources have told me you were trying to get back out of Atlantis,” Black Manta continued and Jason stiffened. “This is a pass for you to get out of the gates,” Black Manta said. “Good only for yourself and your bike today.”

“Thank you, but,” Jason started to reply.

“You're mistaking me,” Black Manta said. “This is not a request. You are an angry soul, and I've taken something of yours you found valuable. I am banishing you from my city, but at least you have a grace period to leave. If you stay, you will be escorted out without your supplies nor your vehicle.”

Kaldur's hand tightened on Dick's arm and Dick stopped breathing when Jason glanced over his shoulder before focusing back on Black Manta. “You are quite generous for such a tyrant, aren't you?”

Dick wished he was close enough to kick Jason or to at least yell at him through Morse Code.

“You should appreciate it,” Black Manta said. “Guards—”

“Before you have him thrown out, I would like to speak to him,” Kaldur said suddenly and Dick sagged against him slightly.

“Is there a reason?” Black Manta asked.

“I'm inheriting his slave,” Kaldur said. “There are some questions I wish to ask.”

“That you need to bring the slave to ask?” Black Manta pressed.

“Yes,” Kaldur said. “If you do not mind?”

“Certainly,” Black Manta said. “Escort him to Kaldur's rooms and wait outside the door.”

Dick bit the inside of his cheek as Kaldur turned him back around and steered him down the wall, still gripping his arm the whole time and he wondered if they would always have to walk through the halls like that. He forced himself to stay looking forward and not turn because he could hear Jason walking behind him, and the clank of the guards.

Kaldur opened the door with the hand not holding Dick and pushed him in first before following. Seconds later Dick heard the door close and whirled around, almost directly into Jason. “Fuck, Dick,” Jason said, and caught him, holding him close.

“Jay,” he said, and saw Kaldur turning away out of the corner of his eyes.

“I don't have anything to ask you,” he said. “But you won't have a lot of time before the guards get to suspicious.”

Jason growled at him and Dick realized he was clinging. “Jay,” he said, warning entering the edge of his voice.

“I don't care what Garth had to say to me,” Jason said, looking at Kaldur and Dick glanced over to see Kaldur look pole-axed. “I don't trust you. And I swear to any deity that exists that if you hurt Dick, I am going to find a way to burn down this whole city.”

“How, exactly?” Kaldur asked, sounding curious.

“I'll figure it out,” Jason said and Dick reached up, turning Jason's face back to him.

“Listen to me,” he said softly.

“He already has you branded,” Jason said, voice shaking in fury. “Don't think I didn't notice that, walking behind you.”

“Wasn't his choice,” Dick said.

“You don't trust him, surely,” Jason said, and his eyes darted like he was going to glare at Kaldur before and Dick jerked his face back, his palms pressing against the scratch of Jason's stubble.

“ _No_ ,” he said, not caring that Kaldur was still there. “But listen to me. I need you to go back to Gotham. _Please_.”

“And what exactly am I supposed to do there?” Jason asked.

“Make sure Tim and Damian are still alive,” Dick said. “Start there.”

“And Bruce?” Jason asked, loathing entering his voice and Dick closed his eyes.

“I'm not asking you to save him,” he said. “Just see if he's alive.”

“You mean if he's sane,” Jason said.

“Yes,” Dick said and pressed his forehead against Jason's, standing on his toes. “Make sure Gotham is still standing for me. _Save_ Gotham for me if you can.”

“And then?” Jason asked.

“Fucking come back for me,” Dick said, without hesitating and Jason gave a heaving sound that almost sounded like a sob.

“And if Gotham is already burned to ash?” Jason asked.

“Then just come back for me,” Dick said, and Jason's eyes were bright. “Enough time will probably have passed by then that you can get back in. And perhaps—”

“My, you're being selfish today,” Jason said and Dick choked on what was almost a laugh. Any sound he made felt like it was lodging in his throat and threatening to block off all his air.

“Yes,” he agreed.

“You realize that if I come back without you and tell them where you are, Damian is going to kill me, right?” Jason asked and Dick choked on another cry, burying his face in Jason's neck and throwing his arms around his neck.

“Then tell him to come get me out of here too,” Dick said.

“Christ, Dick,” Jason said above him and Dick squeezed his eyes shut. He heard Kaldur shift, his footsteps moving away and at least for a minute or two they were alone. “Last night,” Jason said as Dick lifted his head. “Why did you keep kissing me?”

“Don't be daft,” Dick whispered.

Jason's fingers tightened on his waist and Dick had barely registered his hands were on his hips, their bodies pressed together. “You want to spell it out for me?” Jason asked, and Dick remembered all the times he had tried to convince Jason he cared, and all the times Jason dismissed him angrily, unable or unwilling to believe it.

“What,” he whispered. “You're finally going to believe I love you _now_?”

“Maybe you finally wore me down,” Jason breathed, eyes bright. “But you said you weren't sure.”

“I've always loved you,” Dick said. “Since you were a kid with a missing front tooth who insisted you could outrun me on the rooftops and ended up with a broken leg.”

“I thought we were never talking about that again,” Jason started. “You _promised_ to never talk about that again.”

“I've always loved you,” Dick repeated, meeting Jason's eyes. “You're just the one who didn't believe me.”

“And this?” Jason asked, his mouth hovering above Dick's.

“This is new,” Dick admitted, eyes focused on Jason's mouth as much as their closeness allowed. “That doesn't make it mean any less.”

“Fuck,” Jason said, the word brushing against Dick's mouth and Jason's hands slid warm and calloused to his cheeks, tenderly cupping his face as Jason pressed their mouths together. Dick couldn't stop the way he stiffened or the soft sigh that escaped him as Jason kissed him carefully but thoroughly, his hands still cradling Dick's face.

Dick's hands slid up his back, rucking up his shirt to clutch at his shoulder blades, and he leaned harder against Jason who took his weight easily. Sucking his lower lip between his own, Jason finally pulled away. “You said the other day,” Jason said and Dick blinked up at him. “That how I kissed you on the stairs wasn't the way you would kiss me. And last night was how you would.”

“Yeah,” Dick said, eyes wide and his fingers convulsively tightened against Jason's back.

“That's how I wanted to kiss you,” Jason said and Dick keened, high pitched and desperate, grabbing the back of Jason's head and pulling him back down into an open mouthed kiss.

“I think,” Kaldur said and Dick had missed the sound of his footsteps coming back in, but not the way his voice wavered. “You're about to run out of time.”

Dick's embrace tightened, because there was no guarantee Jason would make it back to Gotham across the desert, let alone back to Atlantis again. “Be careful,” he said, meeting Jason's eyes.

“You're the one who's going to have everyone's eyes on you,” Jason said. He rested their foreheads together again. “Keep yourself intact, Dick, and I'll come back for you.”

“Preferably after saving Gotham,” Dick said, trying to make it light-hearted but his voice hitched in the middle.

“Yeah, I'll even save Gotham for you,” Jason said. “Or at least make sure it's still standing.”

“Prince,” a voice said, the guards knocking on the door. “Your father would like this man to be gone from the city and he is loosing light.”

“I love you,” Jason whispered and Dick tried to force his arms to let go.

“Jason—”

“Sh,” Jason said, kissing his temple and pulling back.

“Fuck you,” Dick hissed. “Come _back_ to me.”

“I will,” Jason said and he was walking backward but there were not very many steps to the door.

“Don't forget I love you,” Dick said and it felt like it was being torn out of him.

Jason stopped, smiling wryly. “Yeah, this time I won't,” he said, and his eyes went to Kaldur but he didn't say anything, turning and opening the door in one motion. “So. I have somewhere to be? And I'm sure you gentlemen are very excited to get me there.”

“We follow orders,” the guard said and Jason close the door behind him.

Dick listened to the sounds of them moving down the hall and Kaldur watched him silently. When he couldn't hear them anymore, he sank down in the middle of Kaldur's office and hid his scream in his hands.

“I'm sorry,” Kaldur said, full of hesitation.

“Leave me alone,” Dick said. “ _Please_.”

He could sense the hesitation without looking over, and then Kaldur's footsteps moved away again and he crossed his legs and rested his head in his hands and stayed there until he was chilled by the cool floor and stiff.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I'm working on a playlist for this fic but in the meantime [Until We Go Down](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzjcKS5X4WQ) by Ruelle is what most of this chapter was written to. 
> 
> Also, I'm giving the palace some Spanish Moorish flairs (I know this type of architecture is found throughout the Middle East but the specific ones I'm thinking of are the Spanish Moorish palaces like [this](https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2015/05/07/07/32/architecture-756146_960_720.jpg) and [this](http://www.hickerphoto.com/images/1024/plaza-de-espana_32242.jpg) only with black stone.) 
> 
> The floors meanwhile are Greek (Because Atlantis yo!) So something like [this sort of floor.](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/ancient-greek-mosaic-empuries-mosaics-girona-catalonia-spain-67561532.jpg) Meanwhile, totally read [this article](http://www.sciencealert.com/archaeologists-have-discovered-an-ancient-mosaic-skeleton-that-says-enjoy-your-life) for more about what I mean and also because YOLO skeletons being in Roman dining rooms is the best thing I've ever read. And because we all know BM has mosaic skeletons somewhere in his palace. 
> 
> Okay I think that's enough links for this chapter. 
> 
> (I have been doing some strange google searches for this story)

Dick crawled into the bed, having stripped out of the new clothes in the dark. Kaldur was already there and for a second Dick thought he was asleep.

“We'll have to change the bandage in the morning,” he said. “Just to make sure it's not infected.”

Dick rolled over so he was facing the wall. “Alright.”

“How are you doing?” Kaldur asked and Dick stared at the wall so hard his eyes started to smart in the dark.

“I'm fine.”

The bed shifted and Dick thought Kaldur was sitting up. “Do you always say that, even when you do not mean it?”

“Most of the time there's not another option,” Dick said. “What's the point of not being fine? Jason will still be gone and I will still be here, there will still be a slave brand on my shoulder.”

“You're supposed to be able to mourn.”

“He's not dead,” Dick hissed and he felt Kaldur shift again on the bed. “There's nothing to mourn, because he's not dead.”

“Then you are simply allowed to have your own feelings, even if they're not fine,” Kaldur said, and Dick refused to turn and look at him. “You love him.”

“Don't,” Dick said softly.

“He really wasn't your master,” Kaldur continued anyway. “That much was clear. I'm sorry, for what I said, when we first met.”

“You didn't know,” Dick replied softly.

Kaldur didn't sit back down but neither did he move and for a second Dick hoped that would be the end of it. His skin felt itchy and he was seconds away from rolling out of the bed just to move. “What did you mean about Gotham?”

“I told you, it's not what you think,” Dick said.

“You made it sound like you leaving would destroy the whole city,” Kaldur said .

“I was kidnapped,” Dick said, and he couldn't stand it anymore, he was out of the bed and it was dark so he didn't bother pulling his pants back on. “Gotham tears itself apart every night and we put it back every morning. I would never have left it, because my _family_ is there and they're all—they're what matters most to me. And—and Damian and Tim, my brothers, they were scared.”

“But Gotham is free,” Kaldur said.

“Free to burn itself, free to fight itself,” Dick said. “Yes, it's free. But Bruce, he,” and he looked away in the dark, out one of the windows. “He hurts,” Dick whispered. “All the time. We've lost so much, made so many mistakes, and sometimes I'm not sure how he holds it together. But it's always been him and me. These myths about us, it got that right.”

“He remade Gotham,” Kaldur said. “But you're scared for him without you.”

“ _Yes_ ,” Dick said, and it felt a little bit like it was torn out of him. “I'm so scared for him and it doesn't matter, I can't do anything, I'm—” He gave up, walking to the window and pulling himself up on the windowsill, bringing his knees to his chest and looking out over the city.

Even through the gardens that separated the main building from the rest of the city, lights could be seen twinkling in the distance.

“Thank you,” Dick said, when he could, not turning away from the city. “For letting me say goodbye.”

“You're welcome,” Kaldur said and he sounded lost.

After a while Dick heard a rustling, like Kaldur was lying back down. He stayed in the window until he felt cold and finally crawled back into the bed, his back to Kaldur again.

-0-

When Dick woke up Kaldur was not there and he spent too long in the pool again, scrubbing what skin he could reach because the brand was still covered and scrubbing it would make no difference anyway. He skipped taking the bandages off without Kaldur there, and instead dressed in a pair of loose grey pants and pulled on the boots he had come in with.

He poked his head out of Kaldur's bed room and hearing and seeing no one started to explore the suite that he had only vaguely passed through the last few days. There was an office and he knew that was the door he should not pass through.

The rooms were made of the same black stone as the rest of Atlantis, but all of Kaldur's floors were tiled, and Dick spent a while tracing the mosaic patterns, oceans and harsh cliffs in one room picked out in tiny ceramic tiles, and whales in another, and Atlantis itself was on the floor of the office.

Leaving the office again, having tried to figure out if the representation of Atlantis had any use as a map, he paused in the long hallway between the office and bed room, facing one of the ceiling high arched windows that barely separated the hall from the garden below.

There appeared to be no one outside and he opened and closed the rest of the doors in the hall, finding mostly couches and other furniture, as if someone needed three separate sitting rooms to themselves. In the one closest to the bedroom, he found several more bookcases.

Adding these books to the ones already in the bedroom made his breath catch, because they were three times as many books as he had ever seen in his life.

Shaking his head to himself he walked back into the bedroom, taking the steps down into the sunken floor and paused, squinting at it.

Originally he had assumed the floor was the only one without tiles, because it looked as black as the rest of the walls and ceiling did. But as he started walking carefully around, he started to notice white tiles interspersed with the black ones.

He was still considering it when Kaldur entered, holding several boxes.

“It's the stars,” Kaldur said and Dick had heard him enter, but still jumped at the sound of his voice.

“Why?” he asked.

“Sailors used to navigate by the stars,” and Dick winced, the wound of Jason too raw. “Atlantis is built in the middle of an ancient ocean, and so,” Kaldur gestured to the floor.

“Can you?” Dick asked, looking up. “Navigate by the stars.”

“I've learned it,” Kaldur said. “I've never tried it.”

Dick bit the inside of his lip, staring at the floor for a long moment. “Could you teach me?”

“Probably,” Kaldur said, and there was a shade of confusion in his voice. “Is there a reason you want to know this?”

“Just in case,” Dick said and finally looked at him, eyes darting to the boxes Kaldur had set on the bed. “What are those?” he asked.

Kaldur winced. “One box is, er, supplies.”

Dick frowned for a second before realization soothed his face back out. “It would look suspicious if you did not have them,” he said.

“Yes,” Kaldur agreed and picked up a smaller box, and it looked like a jewelry box. “I forgot to ask before picking this up though.”

“Ask me what?” Dick asked, and wanted to shift back and this time he let himself move until his back was against a wall.

“The collar my father gave you,” Kaldur said. “Is his preference. Heavy, wide, and gold.”

“Seemed a pretty average one,” Dick said, though he only had other slaves in the palace to base that on.

Kaldur shrugged. “Here, yes. But you are mine and I can have you wear what I like. I just thought,” and he looked uncertain again. “That perhaps a lighter, smaller one would be better for you?”

For a second Dick was too shocked to do anything except stare. “Is this for your own image?” he asked and Kaldur's brow furrowed.

“I wanted to make this easier for you,” he said. “You're allowed to say no.”

“Alright,” Dick said and pushed himself off the wall, taking the box from Kaldur's hands. “Do I want to know how many slave collars you have in stock here?”

“No,” Kaldur said and stepped back, giving Dick his space again and Dick tried not to react. Instead he sighed and opened the box, blinking rapidly at the subdued filigree set with small deep blue stones. He lifted the collar out of the box and while it kept it's shape, it was only an inch and a half wide, instead of the heavy gold one he was certain was closer to three inches around his neck.

The entwined metal almost allowed air through instead of the solid one he wore.

Kaldur let him stare at it in silence, processing what he held. “Would you rather wear that one?” Kaldur asked.

“Yes,” Dick said, finally looking back at Kaldur. “You didn't have to do this.”

“It costs me personally nothing,” Kaldur said and riffled around until he found a strangely shaped key. “Turn around so I can get that off.”

Dick turned and tilted his head down so Kaldur could reach the heavy metal collar, and replace it with the smaller, lighter one.

“I know it's not much,” Kaldur said.

“Thank you,” Dick cut him off, because he was not looking at Kaldur and that made it easier for him to say. He tried not to twitch at the brush of Kaldur's fingers, reminding himself to not jerk away because the other man was doing him a favor.

As soon as it was done, Kaldur moved away again, giving Dick back his space and Dick turned around to face him. “Anything else in those boxes?”

“Other jewelry,” Kaldur said. “More silver and platinum to match the collar instead of gold.”

“Platinum?” Dick asked. “You make jewelry out of that here?”

“It is Atlantis,” Kaldur said mockingly, and shook his head. “We are wealthier than Metropolis, only because we had and have access to the old ocean floor. There was a lot of wealth hidden down here.” He moved around, hiding one of the boxes under the bed and Dick could guess which one that was. “Let me check the brand, please,” Kaldur said, not quite looking at him.

While he did, Dick focused on the wall until he felt Kaldur tape on a new bandage. “Will you have to do anything with it?” Dick asked. “Like, reopen it or—”

“No,” Kaldur said, harsh and Dick just arched a brow up at him. “Some masters do. But it will be fine if I do not.”

“If you're certain,” Dick settled for.

“I am,” Kaldur said and moved away.

Dick watched him for several moments. “Who is your father's inner circle?” he asked and Kaldur turned to him in surprise.

“Excuse me?”

“You were serious about this overthrow, weren't you?” Dick asked. “Who is closest to your father? Those will probably be almost as dangerous as he himself is.”

“There aren't many,” Kaldur said, and he seemed to swallow his shock down and return to his usual neutral expression. “He keeps his inner circle small.”

“And the courtiers and nobles?” Dick asked. “That seems unusual.”

“They amuse him,” Kaldur said. “To pretend to have a court like a king of old. Most of them are wealthy but otherwise hold only a little power. They are basically a court of jesters to him. Annoying to me, for the most part, and obsessed with image because that is all they have.”

“But they could be dangerous,” Dick said. “If your father is overthrown and they stand to lose that image, and can use their wealth against a rebellion.”

“Yes,” Kaldur agreed after a moment.

“So he separates the court itself from his circle,” Dick said.

“Yes,” Kaldur said.

“If he is overthrown, his lieutenants will have to be taken down too,” Dick said, and met Kaldur's eyes across the room. “Not just his immediate circle either, but the ones down from that. If Atlantis is not to become Gotham, that must be done. Bruce only succeeded because it appeared the other throw fit into the parameters of the usual warlord succession. He killed his master and took over. Many of his former allies believed he would reward them and Gotham would be theirs and it took them too long to realize that would not be the case. But he let them live and stay in Gotham and they have turned it into a battlefield. It is a balance kept because he is technically still their warlord and if they cannot kill him outright he continues to rule, even if he's breaking all the other rules.”

“You're saying the revolution of Gotham was never finished,” Kaldur said, considering.

“Yes,” Dick said. “There will always be wildcards, but we need someone to step in and fill the role of warlord to dismantle it. And we'll have to do it fully.” He paused, and sought out Kaldur's gaze again. “We're talking about killing your father.”

“I know,” Kaldur said. “I've always known.”

“Then tell me about his inner circle,” Dick said.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been a looooong couple weeks and I cannot believe I haven't updated this story since we actually moved into our house. But *Cracks knuckles* here we go.

Dick didn't hear the sound of the door opening, focused as he was on maintaining the handstand through the pull of the brand on his shoulder.

It was healing and as he left Kaldur reminded him to treat it carefully. But he was itching in his own skin and had already spent too long in the pool.

Carefully, he lifted one arm and almost dropped out of it completely when he heard someone drop something behind him. Trembling, he tried to catch himself gracefully and only landed hard on his shoulder, hissing in annoyance.

“Uh,” he looked up, seeing a dark haired woman standing inside the doorway. “Well then.”

Dick opened his mouth and closed it again, scrambling around to his feet and crossing his arms defensively over his chest. “Who are you?”

She tipped her head to one side, considering him and Dick wished he had put on a shirt—no matter how revealing they were it was better than being fully exposed. “You're not very good at this, are you?” She bent down when Dick found himself biting his cheek hard. She lifted the basket she had been carrying and walked over to the bed.

“What do you mean?” Dick asked, watching her without turning obviously.

“At acting like a slave,” she said, and when she bent over the bed, starting to strip it, Dick got a clear view of her shoulder.

“Neither are you,” he said and she tensed for a second, before giving him a grin over her shoulder.

“I won't tell if you won't.”

Dick hesitated before walking forward. “No one has come in here,” he said, holding his shoulder with his opposite hand as he watched her.

“No one dared,” she said and glanced at the bed. “You could call it a tradition,” she said. “Leaving someone alone with their new acquisition.” But she seemed to find something very interesting in the sheets.

“Ah,” Dick managed.

“Though these are shockingly clean,” she said and Dick felt his face heat as she looked back up at him.

“Are you asking something?” he asked, tilting his head to one side. He felt uncertain, having been alone with Kaldur more or less for the last several days, without knowing anything about the woman in front of him.

“Perhaps I am,” she said and Dick knew he was only blushing more and more.

“Towels,” he said finally.

“Seriously?” she asked and Dick shrugged. “I know the rumor is he's fastidious but,” and she whistled before meeting his eyes again. “And how are you enjoying Atlantis?”

“Isn't this forward of you?” Dick asked, and carefully did not tug on the collar around his throat.

She shrugged and went back to stripping the bed. Dick paced around behind her for a second, weighing the pros and cons of being talkative and possibly making an ally, or being talkative to someone who was only going to become an enemy. “I'm from the desert,” he said finally. “Or have been for quite a few years.”

She turned back around, tucking a strand of her dark hair away from her face. “I came from the opposite direction,” she said. “Off to the East and down South a ways.”

Dick blinked, shifted. “Is it different down there?”

“Well there's trees,” she said.

“That must be nice,” Dick said, because the forests up by Gotham were stark and barely made of trees anymore.

“There are things to miss about home,” she said, turning away. “No matter what it was like.”

Dick looked down, feeling like she had kicked him. “Yeah,” he said, looking out the window.

“Be careful,” she said suddenly and Dick's head snapped up. “For some reason no one tells you that when you come here, but I feel like it should be.”

“Thanks,” Dick said instead of anything else.

-0-

When Kaldur came back, Dick was curled in the corner a book spread out on his lap. “Our amnesty period seems to be over,” he said.

“What?” Kaldur asked, and Dick noticed the circles under his eyes when he looked up.

“There was a slave here today, for the first time,” Dick said. “Which means people are going to be more likely to come in.”

“Only when I'm gone,” Kaldur said after a beat. “They know better.”

“Than why are we sleeping in the same bed every night?” Dick asked, frowning.

“Because slaves aren't the only ones likely to walk in,” Kaldur said, and he started stripping out of the layers he wore when Dick knew he was going to meet with his father.

“Have you considered,” Dick started and stopped, watching Kaldur.

“Considered what?” Kaldur asked, his back to Dick.

“The slaves,” Dick said. “Have you considered actively recruiting them? They have every reason to see a revolution happen.”

“Most of them don't care,” Kaldur snapped, and Dick frowned, leaning back at the undercurrent beneath Kaldur's voice. “They are too abused, too worn down.”

“But not all of them,” Dick said, standing and Kaldur turned around abruptly. “Not everyone can be so broken as that.”

Kaldur shook his head and Dick didn't quite think it was to dismiss what he was saying, but rather to clear it. “Maybe so. But,” he looked up, meeting Dick's eyes. “We have a more pressing concern for tonight.”

“Oh?” Dick asked, rocking back on his heels.

“My father requests us both to attend tonight's revelries,” Kaldur said.

“I thought your party was particular,” Dick said after a beat to cover the spike of panic.

“It was,” Kaldur said. “But this is Atlantis and every night is its own party. We should have been working more, planning better—”

“Should have,” Dick agreed. “But what do we do now?”

Again Kaldur turned, rooting through the outfits he had brought Dick. “We go, we touch, and we convince everyone I'm madly in lust with you and the jealous type.”

“I'm not certain you could sell the angry jealous type,” Dick said after a beat and Kaldur gave him an arch look. “Rather—the quiet possession. They already think you're, well, fastidious and arrogant so all you have to do is convince them that means you don't share.”

“You will still have to be shown off,” Kaldur said.

“With what?” Dick asked, eyeing the leather pants Kaldur had thrown down on the bed, a soft faun color.

“I don't know,” Kaldur said.”Usually it would be something more sexual but—”

“How do they feel about flexibility?” Dick asked, biting the inside of his cheek and Kaldur looked up at him curiously.

“What do you mean?”

Dick grinned at him, before flipping himself up into a handstand. “That's impressive,” Kaldur started and fell silent when Dick tipped himself backward out of it, his feet landing on the ground and his back and thighs parallel to the floor, holding himself up.

“Oh,” Kaldur said. “How—how long can you hold that?”

“Good question,” Dick said, adjusting the width of his hands slightly.

“It's,” Kaldur started, and Dick's stomach jumped when Kaldur's fingers lightly touched there. “You're holding it so well you could be used as a table.”

“No,” Dick said, trying to stay where he was and not flinch back.

“No,” Kaldur agreed. “It would be an effective moment, however.”

Dick breathed carefully before rolling out of the pose. “Would something like that impress them?”

“Showing how flexible and strong you are and letting them translate it into whatever fantasy they have of you?” Kaldur asked with a wry smile. “Yes, I believe that would be effective.”

-0-

Jason snapped the compass closed, looking around the sun baked coral that looked no different from all the other coral he had passed in the last several hours.

He had never realized how lonely it was, with him and his bike and no one pressed behind or in front of him, Dick's awkward looks and painful words to keep him company at night, his breathing when he slept the only sound Jason could hear.

Swinging his leg over the bike, Jason pulled the goggles he wore down, turning around a few times and looking at his compass again. Walking a little ways, he growled in frustration, wanting to drop kick the compass away and knowing he was about to break protocol he kicked at one of the coral heads. It rang differently from the other ones.

“Talia!” he yelled, and hit it again. “Talia al Ghul!”

When there was no response he sat on the seat of his bike and waited. It was almost getting dark and he was considering the danger of staying when a voice came from behind him.

“That is a dangerous name to yell in the desert,” the form behind him said as Jason jumped from the bike and whirled around.

“Yeah, it is,” he agreed.

“Why do you want her?”

“Take me to her, and I'll tell her,” Jason said.

The cloaked figure tossed her head. “It doesn't work that way.”

“Normally, I'd agree,” Jason said, and he grinned in the faint light from the sun as it set. “But I have a proposition for her. One I think she'd really enjoying hearing.”

“I will not let the rift-raft of the desert—”

“Remind her we saved each other's lives would you?” Jason asked.

“You?” the cloaked figure asked, derision obvious in her voice.

“Yeah, me,” Jason said. “Which is why I'd really like to talk to her.”

“If you expect me to believe—”

“Let me put it this way,” Jason said. “Would you rather risk fucking up and killing me now? Or would you rather let her make that call just in case?”

For a moment there was silence and Jason's fingers tightened around his gun.

“The uncertainty is the only thing keeping you alive,” the figure decided. “She is more than capable of killing you herself.”

“That is she,” Jason agreed, rising. “Lead the way.”

“You are rather arrogant, aren't you?” the figure asked, and turned, walking away. As Jason followed, he glanced back to see his bike already being pulled into a cave he would never have seen by several other cloaked figures.

“It's part of my charm,” he drawled, following her down under the sand, a twisting staircase appearing as she slid open the hollow coral head.

“Charm?” she asked, shaking her head.

“Oh yeah,” Jason said, and walked into the darkness beneath them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dick is doing a modified reverse table pose if anyone needs a clearer mental image


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes I end up with random music that I have /no idea/ how it ended up on my computer. That being said ["Entropy Reigns (In The Celestial City)" by Kelly Polar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW0IbpJcOmo) is the song you probably want for Atlantis. 
> 
> Even though I have no idea how it ended up on my computer.

Pressed close to Kaldur's side, Dick tried to keep his eyes down while still roving around the garden, struck almost instantly by how different this night was from the night of Kaldur's birthday. For one, there were a lot more _people_ , shuffling together and around each other, and in much less dress than he remembered.

To be fair, he was wearing less than last time too, an open vest with wide shoulders the only thing beside the wraps around his wrists on his torso. At least Kaldur had agreed on wearing full length pants and that wrapping his wrists as a decorative measure was a good idea. No one needed to see how recently he had been held in handcuffs—or how obviously he had struggled.

Dick glanced up at Kaldur, whose face remained impassive.

Dick wished he had been able to teach Kaldur enough Morse code to make a snide comment about what a lovely party it was. But the sign language Kaldur had been teaching him in turn was too obvious to use in this situation so Dick pushed his head further against Kaldur's shoulder, eyes tracking from side to side.

The lighting was different, he realized, as Kaldur dragged him down beside him, Dick folding himself carefully to lean against Kaldur's chair.

“So you finally grace us with your presence again,” someone said and Dick tried not to be obvious when his eyes flickered over.

“Orm,” Kaldur said with a tight smile.

“We were starting to take bets on whether your new acquisition was an assassin and Manta just didn't want us to know,” Orm said, causing laughter and Kaldur's smile just went thinner.

“Oh, no, he is exactly what he seems.”

“And he seems exceptional,” another voice said and Dick didn't dare look every time someone new spoke.

“Yes,” Kaldur agreed, one of his hands dropping to rest heavy and warm on Dick's head, stroking his hair and ending at the back of his neck. Dick didn't move and forced himself not to close his eyes.

Everyone took their eyes away from them as Black Manta appeared, sitting himself at a table further away, where his back was to no one else in the garden and he could see everything. “Well, it looks like Crock is the favored one tonight,” Orm said and Dick wondered if he was the only one who knew that Kaldur tensed then.

“So he's back in town then?”

“Oh yes,” Orm said. “I forget sometimes you don't get along. But then again, who do you get along with?”

“Not you, obviously,” Kaldur said.

Orm laughed again and Dick found himself glancing up at Kaldur before focusing back down on the ground. For a while, he hoped Kaldur would snipe politely at people, they might eat, and no one would comment more on him than they already had.

But they had been getting looks all night, with increasing frequency.

“So you do seem quite charmed,” Orm said and Dick wondered why exactly they were at a table with this man.

“I am content,” Kaldur said, hand still on the back of Dick's neck.

“And I don't suppose you'd be willing to share anything?”

“Anything?” Kaldur repeated, and Dick could feel the way his fingers tensed against the back of his neck.

“I assume based on your past prudishness, you would not share _him_ ,” Orm said. “But what about his talents? Even a story?”

“Dick,” Kaldur said after a beat.

“Master?” Dick asked, and his voice had gone hoarse at some point during the evening.

“Why don't you show off your, hm, flexibility,” Kaldur said, as if he had just come to the decision. Dick rose in one fluid motion, about to bend himself into a hand stand when Kaldur gestured up to the table they were sitting at. For a second Dick stared at him, realizing Kaldur meant for him to show off where everyone in the garden could see.

He forced himself to move, hoping no one else had noticed his hesitation.

It made perfect sense but he still almost toppled over when he rolled himself into the hand stand. He held it for a second, seeing Kaldur's face upside down and bit the inside of his cheek before slowly dropping his legs, ending in the same position he had showed Kaldur earlier.

He kept his upside down gaze on Kaldur instead of allowing himself to observe any other reaction. He could still hear the murmurs, and felt his stomach muscles twitch with the strain of holding the pose. But he kept his eyes on Kaldur, who stared almost impassively back.

“Come here,” Kaldur said, when he saw Dick's arms start to tremble and he gestured to himself, not the space next to his chair. Dick rolled himself thankfully out of the pose, and dropped himself in Kaldur's lap, hoping that's what Kaldur had meant.

Kaldur shifted him until he was happy with where Dick was, his head resting on his shoulder and draped over his lap. Kaldur's hand slid around his back, brushing underneath the vest he wore, and resting heavy and warm there, his fingers stroking the skin in obvious possession.

Dick tried not to focus on that, shifting his chin on Kaldur's shoulder to look over it, and he caught the girl that had been in Kaldur's chambers earlier, and the almost pitying look she was giving him.

They were talking again, Orm congratulating Kaldur on his fine choice, as if either of them had had a say in the situation. Kaldur only smiled tightly again, his hand too hot on Dick's back.

-0-

“I thought I made it very clear I never wanted to see you again,” Talia said, when Jason barged into the room where she sat. Her hair was unbound, her robes and desert goggles thrown to one side and her expression furious.

“Yeah, you did, but desperate times, desperate measures, blah blah,” Jason said, his guide stopping just inside the door.

“He insisted it would be better to let him make his case to you in person,” she said. “Just in case it was something you actually wanted to hear.”

“Did he?” Talia asked, her eyes narrowed.

“Yeah, I did,” Jason said, spreading his hands out and grinning. “So do you want to hear it or not?”

“And where is Grayson?” Talia asked. “Surely you haven't gotten yourself to Gotham and back out here already.”

“He's in Atlantis,” Jason said shortly.

“You lost him _there_?” Talia asked, arching one devastating brow. “How very sloppy of you, Todd.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Jason said. “Sloppy and infuriating as fuck. That's partly what I want to talk about.”

“I do not care about Grayson—”

“And you probably don't even care about Bruce,” Jason said. “I get it. You barely care about your own son either.”

“You are on _dangerous_ ground,” Talia hissed.

“But I need help getting Dick back _out_ of Atlantis.”

“We are not your hired muscle,” Talia said, taking a step forward. “I have no intention of helping you for any reason—”

“Not even to make sure your son is still alive?” Jason asked.

“What does that have to do with saving _your_ lover from what I can only assume is his own subjugation?”

“Because I can't help him when Gotham is in tatters, like it always is,” Jason said. “And I know he's frantically terrified for your son's safety while he's gone. But hell, that's not why I think you'll help me—us—” and the word tasted like ash—“Either. No, you're going to help me because I have something to offer you.”

“And what could that possibly be?” Talia asked.

“Because I'm going to help you find Ra's al Ghul,” Jason said and Talia froze.

From the doorway, there was a choking sound.

“Leave!” Talia thundered, having obviously forgotten the instruction before she got caught up bickering with Jason.

“But,” the figure said.

“Get out Lance,” Talia growled, her eyes not leaving Jason who only smiled benevolently back at her. “Or not even my sister's affection for you will save you.”

“Fine,” she said and neither Jason nor Talia moved until they heard the door close.

“What possibly makes you think you can succeed where I have failed for months?” Talia asked, voice low and furious.

“Good question,” Jason said.

“Todd,” she snarled, her beautiful face twisting up. She took a step toward him, raising a hand like she would strike him. “I will kill you before letting you walk out of this room. Answer me.”

“You know I've traveled, even more than the territory where your Leagues are,” Jason said.

“What do you know?”

“Tenuous leads,” Jason said. “Half shadows and rumors. But hey, what else do you have to go on?”

“If you are lying to me,” Talia said. “I don't even have to remind you that I will kill you.”

“You just threatened to do that a second ago,” Jason agreed. “Believe me, forgetting how dangerous you are was never part of my agenda.”

“And what exactly do you expect me and mine to do for you?” Talia asked, shifting forward again and Jason took a full step back, unashamed of it.

“First we make sure Gotham is intact,” Jason said.

“Oh, there's a list of tasks is there?” Talia asked.

“Yeah, there is,” Jason said. “Save your son, save the only man you ever thought or claimed to love. Make sure they're alive.”

“Yes yes,” she said, waving a hand through the air to cut him off. “And _then_?”

“I want to take down Atlantis,” Jason said, and she rocked back on her heels.

“For the quasi affections of one man?” she asked. “You want to tear an empire apart from the outside simply because it holds your prince?”

“He is not my prince,” Jason said.

“But you love him,” Talia said, not even a question and Jason still cringed. It was one, horrible thing to hear Dick say that, and another to hear Talia al Ghul spit the words. “You would tear apart the fabric of life of a whole colony just for him.”

“Yeah,” Jason said. “I would. Because you know, maybe Bruce was right in that wrong way he has. This world needs to change and if that happens because of selfish people like me, doing selfish things for ourselves, so be it.”

“You don't even try to deny it,” Talia said, as if marveling. “The boy I pulled out of the desert would have clawed my eyes out.”

“Boy grew up,” Jason said. “Boy _changed_.”

“Yes,” she said, crossing her arms and considering him. “You have.”

“Do we have an agreement or not?” Jason asked.

“A conditional one,” Talia said. “But do not think I will not hold you to your own promise.”

“Oh, I figured you would,” Jason said, returning her cold smile with one of his own. “And don't worry, I'm the type to keep my word.”

“I know,” she said. “I remember.”

When Jason cringed, she turned away, already starting to plan and Jason wished sometimes she had been less like Bruce. “We have much to do,” she said and taking a deep breath because he had already made the choice, Jason nodded.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Dick sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for Kaldur to emerge from the bathroom, where he had locked himself the instant they returned. Dick could relate because the only reason he was not doing the same was because Kaldur had gotten there first.

Finally the door opened, Kaldur stepping out with his short hair still obviously damp.

“So that's what Atlantis night life is usually like,” Dick said, eyes tracking him across the room and Kaldur grunted, climbing into the bed and Dick rose, locking himself in the bathroom too. He stripped out of everything, the uncovered brand catching his attention in the mirror. Stopping, he sucked in a breath before tilting his shoulder more clearly to the mirror and taking his first real look at the mark that would be on his skin forever.

He had let Kaldur treat it, and had ignored it.

But it was the same circle with a trident over a X that he had seen on the other slave's shoulders and he wished he could claw it off his skin. Instead he turned away and sank into the heated pool, sticking his head under the water and listening only to his heartbeat until he needed to breathe.

He thought he might have stayed in there longer by the time he pulled himself out and toweled off. Walking into the bedroom, he paused at the darkness, Kaldur's shape a lump in the bed.

When he crawled under the covers, he tried not to think about the eyes that had watched him, or the other slaves he had seen bent over tables or being taken in the not so hidden corners of the gardens. He tried not to think about Kaldur's hands on him but carefully holding him to show possession with the least amount of contact required.

He tried to close his eyes and sleep.

About the time he realized that would not work, Kaldur spoke quietly beside him, quiet enough that if he had been asleep he would not have heard. “I hate it here.”

Dick closed his eyes against the darkness. “I thought you were raised here,” he said, as if that would change the hate at all.

“In Atlantis,” Kaldur said. “Not _here_.”

Dick paused and rolled over, facing Kaldur's form in the darkness. “What?”

“He didn't realize I was his son until a couple years ago,” Kaldur said and Dick couldn't make him out at all, even with the dim light from the window. “I was raised by my mother. We lived in the poor section of Atlantis, the one I'm sure you saw when you came in. It was hard,” and his voice shook. “But we weren't—we were mostly safe. She cared for me and I loved her so much I didn't even care that my father wasn't there most days. When I asked her about him, she would be sad and distant. I knew he must have been a bad man, but she was beautiful and I have always known the darker side of Atlantis. I just,” and he sat up suddenly, burying his face in his hands and Dick wasn't sure where to move.

“I miss her so much,” Kaldur said. “I can't see her, I'm not _allowed_ , and even though Garth checks on her for me it's not the same. She's left alone because I'm here.”

“Kaldur,” Dick said, sitting up too and then hesitating.

“My father thinks that simply because I am his son I would be like him,” Kaldur said. “What if he's right, what if I'm loosing myself here—”

Dick rolled out of the bed suddenly and Kaldur stopped instantly assuming an neutral position on the bed instead of the distressed one he had been in moments before, with his head in his hands. “What is it?” he asked as Dick started pacing back and forth in the shadows.

“You're worried about loosing yourself?” Dick asked.

“How could I not be?” Kaldur snapped and Dick could barely make out the way he cringed back at his own tone. “He's my father. I live here. Every night is like tonight. How long can you pretend to be something until you _are_ that thing?”

“You asked me about Bruce,” Dick said and Kaldur made a confused sound. “But what I think you don't know about Bruce Wayne is the fact that he worked for the warlords for over a decade.”

“What?” Kaldur asked and Dick sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from him.

“Bruce Wayne was a warlord. I mean, strictly speaking he still is. When he was a kid his parents, his father and mother—well his father was in control of Gotham for a couple years. They both tried to make things different. Minor changes, here and there, but it was too much. The son of one of their companions murdered them and took the mantle from Bruce's father. Bruce was, ten, I think? And the warlord, he took him under his wing instead of killing him, as a final triumph. He was going to take Thomas Wayne's son and turn him into the perfect warlord lieutenant. And for years that's what everyone thought—everyone in Gotham knew Bruce Wayne's name.” He stopped and laughed, bitterly. “You know when I met him? I was glad I thought he was just going to kill me.”

He turned his head slightly, and Kaldur was staring at him, the moon seeping more light into the room than had been there earlier. “And I don't think he knows I knew all this. As if anyone in Gotham didn't know who he was when he saved me. But the thing was, he didn't just pretend to agree with the warlord, or his other lieutenants, he actually did everything to earn that reputation. It killed him, it did, but he survived it. He still made Gotham better.”

“When you met him,” Kaldur said softly.

“I was an orphan,” Dick said. “There was no one to watch out for me, to even try and take care of me except myself. So of course the slavers went after me and he stepped in and,” he stopped and bowed his head. “I did. I thought at least Bruce Wayne was just known for killing, not torture or rape or anything that the slavers were likely to do with me.”

“Slavers,” Kaldur said, sounding queasy when Dick looked up at him. “And now—”

“I've spent my entire life free,” Dick said. “That's different than what I would have. That's not what I'm saying, though.”

“What are you saying?” Kaldur asked.

“That you never have to become what you pretend to be,” Dick said. “You could, but you don't have to let it become you. You have a choice. You just have to find the thing worth holding on to—” he trailed off when Kaldur rose, approaching him.

When he cupped the back of Dick's head, Dick twitched and forced himself to stay still, terrified for a moment that Kaldur might kiss him. But instead he only leaned their foreheads together and stayed like that in the dark.

“Thank you,” he said.

“Yeah,” Dick said. He tried to stay still, neither moving back nor leaning in closer.

“That goes for you too,” Kaldur said and Dick jumped.

“What do you mean?” he asked and Kaldur pulled back enough to meet his eyes.

“Just because you pretend to be something doesn't mean you become it. That goes for you too. You are not a slave, no matter what you must pretend.”

Dick felt his jaw drop slightly and Kaldur still hadn't let his hands drop. “I—I—thank you.”

Kaldur finally dropped his hands and stepped back and Dick sucked in a breath that made his lungs ache. “You haven't been willing to talk that much about Bruce Wayne before,” Kaldur remarked.

“It's hard to,” Dick said. “These legends people have about him, and the way I know him—I don't want to hurt anyone by telling them there's actually a man behind that who is flawed and hurt.” He shook his head. “It's hard to talk about him. Especially with people who don't know him. Where to start, how to—”

“I'm glad you're here,” Kaldur said and he had moved back to the bed, not quite laying down. “I know you did not want to be, and I know it's selfish. And Artemis was always here for me too but—to have someone here. I know it wasn't your choice, but thank you.”

“Yeah,” Dick managed. “Any time.”

He thought Kaldur shot him an almost amused look but he ignored it, crawling back into the bed.

-0-

“You haven't been around in a while,” Roy said, sitting in the middle of the staircase Garth was trying to climb.

“Where you actually sitting here waiting for me?” Garth asked, shoving some of his curls back from his face.

“Surprisingly, yes,” Roy said, pushing himself to his feet.

“We shouldn't be in contact unless it's necessary, you know that,” Garth said, and Roy fell into step beside him as he kept walking, coming up from the long alleyway into the marketplace.

“I just want to know how Dick is doing,” Roy said, eyes roving around the market and he couldn't see Jade anywhere. Didn't mean any of her gang wasn't around, but she herself was scarce which was good enough for Roy.

“I haven't been back to the palace yet,” Garth said, low.

“Dangerous?” Roy asked.

“Any time you go to one place too many times it is,” Garth said. “But I will go back soon, I need to.” His eyes flickered up to Roy. “You want to hear from me when I do?”

“Any place that would be not terribly suspicious for either of us?” Roy asked.

“Depends,” Garth said. “I'll figure out a way to let you know.”

They walked several more feet, Garth pretending to look at different stalls. “You care about him,” he said finally. “The boy from the desert.”

“He's a character,” Roy said, folding his hands behind his head as they walked. “Yeah, I like him. He didn't handle the charade all that well when he was with Jason, I can't really imagine how he's dealing with it now.”

“When did you know who he was?”

“He told me, almost by accident,” Roy said. “We were—I was cooking and he was trying to help and we talked about home. We're both a little lost here.”

“Atlantis is not the city I would recommend getting lost in,” Garth said with a wry smile.

“It's not so bad,” Roy said.

“It's treated you fairly ill,” Garth said and neither of them mentioned Jade, for which Roy was thankful.

“And it gave me the best thing in my life,” Roy said. “You win some, I guess you loose some. I just want to make sure he's okay. Or as okay as he can be. Even if there's nothing I can do if he's not.”

“I'll see what I can find out,” Garth said, ducking his head.

“Thanks,” Roy said, patting Garth on the shoulder and earning almost a glare in response.

-0-

Dick would deny he was waiting when the same girl entered the room, and there was a bruise on her cheek and she walked stiffly.

“What happened to you?” Dick said instantly.

“Damn,” she muttered. “You really must be bad at this.”

Dick took the basket she brought in with her away. “I can make the bed if you leave this,” he said. “It's not like there's much else for me to do.”

“Except stretch and remain limber?” she asked, eyes narrowed slightly.

“As long as the prince is off on his own business, yes,” Dick said and started stripping the bed so she wouldn't have the chance. “I am not allowed to leave much. I do not even know if the palace has its own slave quarters.”

She laughed, and looked longingly at one of the couches. “Of course it does. Even if half the slaves are pleasure slaves most masters have harems which means the ones they don't want to use every night have to go somewhere. And there's the domestics and the cooks and the unruly ones that haven't been broken yet.”

Dick glanced up, and managed not to ask where she landed. “You didn't tell me your name last time.”

“Slaves don't really have names,” she said.

“That's bullshit and you know it,” Dick snapped. “They have to designate us somehow, no matter what they treat us like. Unless there's a numbering system I don't know about—”

“It's Donna,” she said, watching him strangely.

Dick nodded. “I'm Dick.”

“Dick?” she asked, tilting her head. “You know, there's a rather famous person by that name—”

“Yeah,” Dick said and gave her a bright smile. “I think the slavers that picked me up thought it would be funny to call me the same thing, being as I was snatched out of Gotham once upon a time.”

Jason had already let that one out and since someone knew he had to find a way to build on that lie.

Her eyes widened, unhappiness obvious. “I thought slavers weren't allowed into Gotham.”

“Allowed? No, but of course some sneak in,” Dick said, turning away.

“And you're willing to go by the name they gave you?” she demanded, angry and Dick glanced sideways at her.

“It's been mine as long as I can remember,” he said. “I think it amused my last master too, but be that as it may, it's the only name I have. So yes, I keep it.”

She made a considering sound, looking away. “I suppose I can understand that.”

“I take it your name wasn't given to you by slavers,” Dick said, dumping the sheets into the basket after he had taken the clean ones out.

“No,” Donna said shortly. “They tried to give me another one.”

Dick arched his brows but did not ask, only nodding. “You haven't been a slave very long, have you?” he asked.

“No,” she said, eyes flashing. She looked like she was about to say something else but shut her mouth on it and Dick tried not to grin. “If you're not going to let me do my job, I should take those to the laundry.”

“You might as well stay long enough to make it look like you did,” Dick said with a grin and she paused, watching him a little warily before shrugging.

“Alright,” she said and Dick wished he could convince her to sit on the couch but instead they both remained standing.

“So you miss the trees?” Dick asked, easy and charming and she stared at him for a long moment before almost smiling herself.

“We had really lovely trees.”

“The only trees I'm used to can't really be called living anymore,” Dick said. “Too much acid rain.”

Donna cringed. “No, I mean trees that are tall and green and keep growing because they're still alive,” and Dick kept smiling as he listened to her talk about what the trees looked like, how they felt, before she finally said too much time had passed and left.

Dick walked her to the edge of Kaldur's chambers and leaned against the door, considering the silence around him.

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've been sick as hell the last two weeks, hi, have an offering to prove I haven't fallen off the face of the earth or died. 
> 
> (Every once and a while I remember how important music is to this story as a random song on shuffle awoke it like a beast from the deep during my sickness when I couldn't stand up for three days)

Dick had watched Kaldur leave that morning, to attend to whatever courtly duties he had, and faced with another day of silence he thought he was about to lose his mind.

Which was his only excuse for doing cartwheels and backflips up and down the hallway stretching from Kaldur’s room to his office. When the door to the office opened, he fell out of one of the backflips, and skidded several inches along the slick floor before his panicked eyes snapped up.

“Well, that was impressive, except the landing,” Artemis said, crossing her arms and looking down at him.

“Usually I handle that better,” Dick admitted. “I didn’t expect anyone to stop by today.”

“Kaldur’s supposed to be back soon so we can talk,” she said, still staring down at him, and Dick finally pushed himself up, brushing his pants off.

“Haven’t seen you in a while,” he said.

“Went out of town for a while,” she said. “Yelled at Kaldur more in private, but we had a prior engagement I couldn’t just miss.” She tilted her head, eyes narrowed and Dick stared back. “And how have you and prince been handling things?”

“Fine,” Dick said.

Her eyes narrowed again. “That’s no answer.”

“You didn’t trust me last time,” Dick said, and realized how petty that sounded. “Which I understand,” he added quickly. “But that doesn’t mean I have to trust you either.”

“Does he really believe you are who you say you are?” she asked.

“Probably,” Dick said and she stepped closer. Dick was reminded of the feral dogs he saw around Gotham from time to time, the way they were appraising each other. He felt like maybe they should start circling each other.

“It would be a good story,” she said. “To get his sympathy.”

“Is sympathy really what that would gain me?” Dick asked.

“Interest,” she amended. “Desire to keep you safe and whole.”

Dick inclined his head. “Fair.”

“You don’t seem very interested in proving this to me,” Artemis remarked.

“What’s the point?” Dick asked. “I’m not carrying around an ID card, I don’t have my name tattooed on my body somewhere or some other identification number. Either you believe me, or you don’t.”

“But does Kaldur actually believe you?” she asked.

“I think so,” Dick said.

“So,” Artemis said and she stepped back slightly, turning the standoff more casual, though Dick knew they were still in the middle of one. “Tell me about Gotham than.”

Dick found himself chuckling. “You know, I could, but for some reason no one believes me when I do.”

“Oh?” Artemis asked.

Dick sighed. “You have stories of Gotham out here,” he said. “Those stories are myths, things you tell yourself about the promise of a world without warlords, of freedom. The reality of Gotham is very different from that, but it’s so closed off from the rest of—the other warlords have pretended Gotham doesn’t exist for two decades, which means there’s no trade, and very little travel in or out of that city.”

“But it’s still free,” Artemis said, and there was an edge in her voice, a demand for that to be true.

“Yes,” Dick agreed. “It is still free. But telling you about it won’t guarantee or prove a damn thing.”

“Well, tell me something anyway,” she said.

Eyes flickering to the side and considering one of the columns, Dick sighed. “There’s no electricity in Gotham,” he said. “No running water, no lights at night.”

When he glanced back at her, she was frowning.

“That’s the most obvious thing I can think to say,” he said.

“What do you _do_ at night?”

“Well, if it’s something that requires sight, we have fires,” Dick said. “Tim and I rigged up some night vision googles one time, and its, well, useful, but also stupidly ineffective the instant someone waves a torch in your face.” And it hadn’t taken anyone long to figure that out. “We don’t get to use them much and only ever had the parts for one pair anyway.”

“Tim?” she asked.

“In these stories that got out of Gotham,” Dick said. “I know everyone seems to know my name, and Bruce’s, but I haven’t heard any of the others.”

“You’re usually the only two that are mentioned,” she said. “Others come up, the fact there are others, but—”

Dick frowned, unhappy with that notion when the door opened.

“Artemis,” Kaldur said, eyes wide. “I didn’t realize you were already here.”

“Just chatting,” she said and Dick tried to keep his expression blank instead of annoyed.

“Artemis,” Kaldur said. “I told you that I believe him already. You don’t need to interrogate him more.”

“Have you actually thought?” Artemis asked. “Interrogated him? Or have you just taken what he’s said at face value?”

“I’m not naïve,” Kaldur said.

“You’re quick to trust him,” she said.

“To be fair,” Dick interrupted. “I figured out the underground revolution thing on my own.”

That earned a full body twitch from Artemis. “What?” she asked, looking between Kaldur and Dick. “Are you _serious_?”

“We apparently could do better.”

Artemis looked like she was about to scream. “Oh, could we? We better be at the top of our game or we’re dead.”

“And that’s why he is helping us,” Kaldur said.

“Or willing to,” Dick said. “Haven’t had much chance of it yet.”

Artemis looked between them. “Fine,” she settled for finally and turned, jabbing a finger into Dick’s chest. “ _Don’t_ think I won’t be watching you though. And if I think for a second you’re betraying us—”

Kaldur opened his mouth to protest. “Duly noted,” Dick said dryly and Artemis drew back.

“Besides,” she sighed. “Dad’s back in town now which is going to only complicate things. And apparently Wilson is heading back this way as soon as he finishes up whatever he’s doing in Metropolis.”

“What?” Dick asked, feeling panic claw at the base of his throat.

“Slade Wilson?” Artemis asked.

“Oh, I know who he is,” Dick said. “How long—how long until he’s back?”

“Another week or two at least,” Artemis said.

“How much of a plan will we need?” Kaldur asked, watching Dick.

“I don’t know,” Dick said. He took a breath, let it out. “How—your father mentioned training. I’m fairly certain I don’t want whatever he had in mind but I need—someone to couch me on how to act a better slave _before_ he comes back. He’s already convinced I’m not a slave and if he has your father’s ear—”

“We’ll work on it,” Kaldur said after a moment that went on too long, Artemis glancing between them.

“It doesn’t have to be you that teaches me this,” Dick said, meeting his eyes. “I know you don’t find it—pleasing.”

“There’s not really a lot of options,” Kaldur said. “Or others I trust. I can handle it.”

Dick inclined his head, stomach churning and Kaldur didn’t look much happier.

“I think you promised me lunch, prince,” Artemis said after the silence between them became too heavy. “And I’ll report.”

“Right,” Kaldur said, snapping his attention to her and Dick felt like he could breathe again.

-0-

Mia tossed a knife up and down and Roy tried not to pay attention to it.

“I think we should break him out,” she said.

“Oh that sounds smart,” Roy remarked. “What is your business here, peasants? Oh, just here to rescue the prince’s sex slave,” he mimicked how that conversation might go. “We’d be dead so fast.”

“You can’t be comfortable leaving him there.”

“Hell no,” Roy said. “But Garth promised to check on him—”

“And you’re willing to just let that wait?” Mia asked. “Trust him and leave it at that?”

“Don’t you trust Garth?” Roy asked after a long moment, and they were both sitting at the kitchen table, Ollie out on errands and Connor presumably sleeping off his late night. He had been tailing some of Black Manta’s men as they wandered from bar to bar, causing a ruckus all the way.

“I don’t know him well enough to trust him yet,” she said.

“How long does it take, Mia? We’ve been here almost four years now,” Roy said.

“Well, it takes longer than that,” she said. “But honestly, Roy, do you trust him enough? He said he was willing to leave Dick there as long as it served his purpose.”

“That’s not exactly what he said,” Roy said.

“It’s what he meant,” Mia said.

“Mia,” Roy said, shaking his head slightly. “If it was between your city’s freedom and continued enslavement, wouldn’t you?”

“So you’re saying it’s worth sacrificing people for the rebellion?” she demanded.

For a long time Roy stared at the harsh and haphazard wood that made up there table, dents and nicks here and there from sharpening arrows and broken plates. “Don’t you?” he asked. “Think that too?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I think I should, but then I remember how scared and angry he was and I don’t want that boy to be broken. Not because of who he is, what his name is and what that _means_ , but because of who he was, around us.”

“How about this,” Roy said, looking up and seeking out her eyes. “Wait until we hear back from Garth. He said _something_ to shut even Jason up.”

“Think he’d tell us the same thing?”

“Highly doubtful,” Roy said. “But maybe he can tell us something. Hell, he might even have good news.”

“Maybe one of us could sneak into the palace and see how he’s doing,” Mia mused.

“Oh, that sounds incredibly stupid,” Roy said, but there was an edge of respect to it, and his mouth curled into a grin.

“You should try and disagree harder,” Mia said with a matching smile of her own.

“I still think we should wait to hear from Garth first,” Roy said. “Just to get a lay of the land there. We can’t just wander in half blind.”

“You used to not be this cautious,” Mia said, voice softening.

“Yeah, and look where that got me,” Roy said.

“You’re still here,” Mia said when his silence threatened to become maudlin. “No matter where she is, you still have your daughter. It’s not so bad as that, Roy.”

Roy shrugged. “There’s just a lot we’re working for. I don’t want to walk rough shod over someone else’s plans.”

“But we are going to infiltrate the palace, aren’t we?” Mia said.

“Honestly?” Roy’s face started edging toward a smile. “Ollie is going to be so mad he didn’t think of it first. Think of the intel we could gather for the rebellion. I know we have some contacts inside that we’re not supposed to know about, but I’m sure we could get another view.”

“A worthwhile one even,” Mia said.

“Completely,” Roy agreed.

“I think there’s another big party this coming week,” Mia said.

“When is there not?” Roy sighed.

“But they might even need more help,” Mia said, trying for a second to look innocent.

“And we’re very good at helping people,” Roy said, trying to keep a straight face.

“Deal, then?” Mia asked.

“We’re still at least telling Ollie first,” Roy said. “And I’ll track down Garth.” But he held out his hand anyway, and she shook it. “But operation we’re incredibly stupid is in the words as of now.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for unknowing and thus unconsenting drug use. 
> 
> And unconsenting groping.

Dick leaned against the side of Kaldur’s seat, one hand curled around the back of Kaldur’s calf and practicing sending him messages in Morse code. Kaldur’s hand on his shoulder or in his hair was trying to do the same, though Kaldur’s messages were halting and sometimes he forgot proper spacing so Dick couldn’t figure out which letters went where.

“Your father looks bored,” Dick signed, tucking his head against Kaldur’s leg to let his eyes roam a bit more freely.

“Always,” Kaldur signed back, fingers in his hair and Dick tried not to grit his teeth too much about that.

“Why have all the parties then?” Dick asked, knowing Kaldur could hardly answer the rhetorical question through Morse code.

“You let the poor thing eat, don’t you?” a voice asked suddenly and Dick glanced up at the table, realizing someone was addressing Kaldur.

“Of course,” Kaldur replied, and Dick kept his fingers still. He had pretended to eat earlier, though he was certain Kaldur saw through it.

“You’d deny us even that joy?” one of the courtiers at the table asked and Dick frowned, not recognizing her. The people who sat at Kaldur’s table changed every night they were there, sycophants trying to use him to get to Blank Manta and constantly being disappointed.

Dick was starting to suspect at least some of them came just to gawk at him up close, which made his skin crawl.

“I have no idea what you’re implying,” Kaldur said, taking a cup from the table and holding it down. For a second Dick stared at it before he tipped his head back, allowing Kaldur to pour some of it into his mouth. He tried not to gag around the sweet flavor, swallowing carefully instead.

“You should at least let him sample something like this,” the woman said, handing Kaldur a cake looking pastry. There was a glint in her eyes that made Dick want to do anything but eat whatever it was.

“You have a strange obsession,” Kaldur remarked, turning the pastry around a few times.

“Is it so strange to want to see an attractive pleasure slave with something in their mouth?” she asked, eyes wide and Dick almost choked on air. His eyes flickered up to Kaldur and he shrugged slightly, barely a motion but Kaldur could feel the shift of his muscles from where his hand had drifted down to Dick’s shoulder.

“I suppose there’s no harm to it,” Kaldur said, and Dick wished he could remember the woman’s name, if she was part of Black Manta’s normal circle as Kaldur fed him the pastry. It like the drink was too sweet, and Dick wondered where they even got all this sugar from. The few times they had scrounged up something sweet in Gotham, Dick had always given it to Alfred or later Damian before eating it himself.

Jason ate whatever was in front of him, whether he liked it or not and Dick closed his eyes, He forced himself to swallow, and not think about Jason.

-0-

“You holding up,” Roy asked, leaning over toward Mia as she brought dishes back into the kitchen from where she had pulled them off some of the lower tables.

“No problem,” she said. “Waiting tables is much easier than being part of the entertainment.”

Roy’s eyes darted around, before they were both handed new platters to take out. For the most part they were assigned to the tables the furthest away from Black Manta which meant the prince was also as far away as possible. But like they had predicted, someone had been at the market, looking for extra hands that morning.

Roy had looked at Connor and remarked they should remember this if they needed to get into the palace again and Connor had hushed him quickly.

Now he and Mia were putting food down in front of the nobles and elite of Atlantis, and Roy almost wished they had dared to sneak some sort of poison in, even if it was just going to give people an upset stomach.

Halfway through what they figured the night would be, a commotion started at one of the top tables, all eyes going toward it and Roy let himself glance that way before freezing to see Dick Grayson climb on the lap of the prince, his knees going to either side of his hips and the prince, even from a distance looked shocked at this. The next second, Dick bent his head and kissed him and if it had been anyone else, Roy knew it wouldn’t have caught any attention.

But the prince had a reputation and whispers moved like waves through the whole courtyard.

“Pay attention,” someone hissed behind him and Roy snapped back into action, clearing plates and cups and trying to catch Mia’s eye.

Instead he turned around, meaning to head back to the kitchen, loaded down with the dirty plates to find Connor when someone caught his eye.

There was no reason for it, she was standing to one side, leaning against one of the pillars that made up the walkways around the courtyard. There was no reason for her to look up either, meeting his eyes and they both froze.

“Son of a bitch,’ Roy managed, Artemis staring back at him before she turned and hurried away. Despite their cover, Roy almost threw the plates down to chase after her. Instead he forced himself to march back to the kitchen, all thoughts of Dick Grayson leaving his mind.

-0-

Dick felt like his skin was too tight, too much, and he had found himself pressing up further and further against Kaldur’s leg through the night. At one point Kaldur had tapped a question of concern down to him and Dick had shaken his head, turning it accidentally into a nuzzle.

He forced himself to stay still after that, only it became harder and harder as the seconds passed.

Finally he gave up, turning slightly and pressing his face against Kaldur’s thigh and that’s when he should have known something was _wrong_.

“What?” Kaldur asked, looking down.

“I,” Dick said, almost a whimper and closed his eyes. “Please.”

“Something’s not right,” Kaldur said, frowning at him.

“A problem with your slave?” someone asked.

“Apparently,” Kaldur said, still frowning down at him. “Come on,” he said, the thread of an order in his voice as he rose, dragging Dick to his feet with him and for a moment Dick was content with the order. But when Kaldur pressed an arm around him he moved without thinking, plastering himself to Kaldur’s side and accidentally unbalancing him, sending him back into the seat he had just risen from with Dick on top of him.

Dick landed on his lap and for a second Kaldur gaped at him before Dick squirmed back against him and Kaldur’s mouth was too close—so Dick dipped his head and kissed him, open mouthed. Kaldur jumped underneath him and Dick knew something was wrong it had to be.

But where ever he touched Kaldur it felt like his skin was lighting up and he wanted more of it. He wanted it so much his hands ached and he felt like he couldn’t breathe without Kaldur right there, holding him.

“Get up,” Kaldur said, pushing him back and Dick stumbled, head fuzzy and he shook it, which didn’t help at all. “We’re going,” he said, casting his eyes around the table and Dick couldn’t focus his eyes. He tried to follow where Kaldur looked with no success, giving up and trying to press his mouth against him instead.

Kaldur shoved him, a little strongly and Dick stumbled again, only his tight grip on Kaldur’s waist allowing him to keep his feet. “Come on,” Kaldur murmured. “We’re going back to my chambers.”

“Private?” Dick breathed against his neck and for a second Kaldur didn’t move before he shivered.

“Yes,” he grit out, and Dick wasn’t much help at all as Kaldur steered them both across the courtyard. There were jeers and grins and knowing looks and so many people were watching them but Dick barely cared, because he was dragging his teeth along Kaldur’s shoulder.

“What is happening to me?” he asked, when they were finally out of the courtyard and in shadows, Kaldur marching down the hallway toward his office. Dick’s face was still pressed against his neck, and one of his hands was trying to crawl inside his pants. “I feel—”

“How am I this stupid?” Kaldur demanded.

“I don’t know,” Dick admitted and bit Kaldur’s shoulder, feeling him twitch under him. “I just want—I feel like I’m burning—”

Kaldur started swearing. “Dick, Dick, listen to me—”

“No,” Dick said. “Want _touch_ , not listening. I’ve never wanted so much like this. I can’t—”

“Just hold on then,” Kaldur said. “Up the stairs, come on,” and Dick clung to him, forcing Kaldur to almost drag him all the way up the steps. “Damn it,” Kaldur muttered and Dick thought he should be helping more.

“Please,” he said again, when Kaldur set him back down at the top of the stairs. They could almost see Kaldur’s door at last. “You know you can have me. You know, right? I want right now, I _want_.”

Kaldur’s face was blank as he fumbled with the door before yanking it open and shoving Dick inside.

“What is happening to me?” Dick asked, because for a second they had broken all contact and Kaldur’s eyes looked a little wild now they were alone.

“I’m so stupid,” Kaldur said. “There are drugs they use on slaves, aphrodisiacs. I knew, I should have known.”

Dick shook his head, trying to focus. “I feel,” he started. “I feel like I’m burning, and everything is—distant. I can’t, I can’t focus and,” he shook his head again, hands coming up to cradle his aching skull. “I just—I want so much. Please, Kaldur, _please_.”

“I am not taking you,” Kaldur said, still pressed against the door.

“I’m asking—”

“Not in your right mind you’re not,” Kaldur said.

“But,” and Dick was struggling to breath. “It’s fine,” he said. “It’s—fine. You can—”

He swayed forward, pressing his head against Kaldur’s chest and he could feel the abrupt rise and fall of it. “You want,” he murmured. “You want. Take, I’m asking.”

“No,” Kaldur said again, but his voice was shaky.

“Kaldur,” Dick said, kissing the side of his throat, and his fingers slipping under the back of his shirt.

He felt Kaldur’s hands move, hesitantly stroking along his shoulders before suddenly things went dark.

-0-

It was almost dawn before Roy, Mia, and Connor made it back home. “Why won’t you tell us what got you like this?” Mia said. “I know seeing Dick was—”

“It’s not that,” Roy said, lengthening his stride.

“Than what is it?” Mia called after him.

“Maybe he wants to tell all of us at once,” Connor said, matching Roy’s stride and Mia had to jog slightly to catch up. “But I’m curious as well.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Roy said, because he had never seen the woman again that night. But somehow he didn’t think it was his imagination at all.

“Honestly I’m surprised we got in and out with so little problem,” Connor said. “To think that’s actually a viable route—we could build it up, keep going back, until we’re actually embedded in the palace.”

“I am not taking that job,” Mia said. “There is no way.”

“But it’s a possibility,” Connor said and finally they were home, Roy throwing the door open. He breathed a sigh of almost relief when Ollie was sitting at the table in the kitchen, having been waiting for them to come back safely.

“You made it,” he said, rising, and going toward Connor first, eyes on Mia.

“Yes,” Connor said. “It wasn’t even so bad, just waiting tables and washing dishes.”

“I saw Artemis,” Roy blurted out and they all stopped.

“No,” Mia said, the first to react. “But she—she’s dead. She’s _dead_.”

“Are you certain it was her?” Connor asked, giving Roy all his attention.

“Yes, I’m certain, and yes, I know she’s supposed to be dead,” Roy said. “Oh god, Jade is going to start burning down entire quarters when she finds out her sister lied to her.”

“Why would she have faked her own death?” Mia asked. “That makes—that makes no sense!”

“She didn’t entirely look like herself anymore,” Roy said. “Maybe she’s hiding, maybe she went undercover at the palace.”

“I understand why she wouldn’t tell us,” Ollie said, but his voice was fractured. “But you mean to say she convinced us she was dead?”

“I think,” Roy said and Ollie turned, suddenly heading out the house. “Ollie!”     

“No,” he said, turning back around. “No. I understand the danger, I understand the politics and the maneuvering but that—that is _too far_!”

“Father,” Connor said, trying to pull him back inside.

“No,” Ollie repeated. “You three have had a long night already, you stay here. I need to go,” and he turned again. After a second the three of them looked at each other.

“I’m going with him,” Connor said, looping after his father and leaving Mia and Roy in the door.

“You really think it was her?” Mia asked.

“Positive,” Roy murmured, feeling sick to his stomach.

“Damn,” Mia ground out, and shut the door as the lights on the street started switching off, pink light streaking the sky above the buildings.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, happy holidays then?

 “This isn’t a good idea,” Connor said, a few paces behind Ollie.

“Fuck that then,” Ollie muttered and veered to the right fast enough Connor almost missed the turn and had to jog back a few steps to actually follow.

“Father,” he protested.

“I need to know,” Ollie said, and they both stopped in front a particularly high façade, looking from side to side.

“I understand,” Connor allowed as Ollie bent down and pulled the sewer covering to one side. Connor kept watch as his father went down the ladder before following and pulling the cover back securely over their heads.

The ladder went down and down, at least two stories before they found the first ledge. “It always surprises me how much is down here,” Connor remarked, as Ollie lit the windup flashlight, running it over the walls around them before taking off to the left. “How did they build so much?”

“Bitch of a city,” Ollie muttered.

“Can’t argue that,” Connor said and they walked in silence, as the incline turned downward for several blocks before flattening again. When they turned the next corner the tunnel turned into a ledge, a walkway through a large open space. Down below came the steady hum of the machines powering Atlantis above.

“Whatever bastard spawned BM sure knew what they were doing,” Ollie said, breaking the silence that was making Connor’s skin crawl as it always did when they were under the city. Something about the darkness and the weight above them made him shake.

Probably because it reminded him too much of being buried in Star City’s rubble, before Roy found him, his arm broken and a gash over one eye but after a day of silence and darkness Connor had clung to him like a kitten, ignoring his own broken ribs and leg, the dozens of cuts.

“They must have been lucky,” Connor said and Ollie barked out a harsh laugh.

“Or fucking smart and cunning,” he pointed out and they stopped at a fork in the walkway. “Probably knew what he was getting. No wonder these assholes are so vicious. They know what they have.”

Connor glanced both ways. “Which way?”

“Right,” Ollie said and they started walking again.

“You sure this isn’t the direction toward the trap?” Connor asked, mostly joking.

“Yeah,” Ollie said and Connor swallowed, glancing at his father’s profile in the dim light from the flashlight. Fury had etched itself into his features and Connor wished he had convinced Roy to stay home.

“Stop,” another voice said suddenly in front of them.

“Yeah, I’ll stop,” Ollie said. “But you damn well know who I am, and I need to speak to Curry. Now.”

“Ollie?” Garth asked, looking over Tula’s shoulder in shock. She had been the one to demand their stop. “What are you doing here?”

“Are you mad?” Tula demanded. “This is dangerous, you _know_ this is dangerous—”

“Sure, sure,” Ollie said. “Now I’m going to talk to Curry. Either of you want to try and stop me?”

“It,” Tula started and Garth shook his head. “Go then.”

“Thank you,” Connor said before following Ollie again, down a corkscrew staircase that opened up onto the floor of the electric plant. Weaving through the towering machines, they finally reached a side door and ducked inside the room, the light from the flashlight the only illumination.

The hallway opened to another door and Ollie knocked it three sharp times before shoving it open.

Inside a lamp sat on a table strewn with maps and charts and other writing, where Arthur Curry sat. He rose the instant the door opened. “Oliver—”

“Did you know?” Ollie demanded, snapping the flashlight off aggressively and Arthur looked first at that before raising his eyes to Ollie’s face.

“Know what, old friend?” he asked, wariness entering his posture. Despite reminding Ollie they were friends, Connor could see him tense to take an attack.

“That Artemis Crook is still alive!” Ollie roared and the back door to Arthur’s sanctuary opened, Mera stepping through and crossing her arms over her chest. “Did you know she was still alive?”

Arthur blinked at him before bowing his head. After a breath he snapped his eyes back up. “Yes.”

“You son of a bitch,” Ollie snarled, scooping up something Connor didn’t quite catch from the table, throwing it at the side of Arthur’s head. Everyone knew it wasn’t truly aimed at him, but they all flinched when the heavy object slammed into the wall.

“Oliver,” Arthur said, half a warning.

“She was my girl,” Ollie said. “She was one of my girls and you fucking lied to me. You told me to my _face,_ Arthur, you told me to my face that _she was dead_!”

“Keep quiet,” Mera said, despite the fact they had chosen this location precisely because the machines made so much noise. “You don’t want to draw attention to us.”

“You lied,” Ollie hissed again, and Connor had taken up a position that mirrored Mera’s on the door they had come in.

“It was necessary, you know it was necessary,” Arthur said. “We needed someone in the palace and it was easier—”

“Easier? Easier for who?” Ollie demanded.

“This is a revolution, Oliver, you know we all take risks and what the consequences are—”

“And if Roy was picked up tomorrow and tortured by Black Manta and died in that terrible prison I would understand. I would grieve and I would fight. If they took Connor,” and his voice broke. Connor tried not to move. “But to _lie_ to me. To have her live and not to know—”

“She only lived with you for a couple years,” Arthur started.

“That doesn’t make her any less family!” Ollie roared, Mera twitching again like she wanted to remind him to keep his voice down or she would damage his vocal cords. Connor had heard the threat before.

Arthur tensed, his mouth a compressed line. “I did what needed to be done.”

“Why does lying to me make sense?” Ollie asked. “I could have just known. I could have known she was alive and well and it would have been hard but I would have understood.”

“It’s what we agreed needed to be done,” Arthur said, softly.

“She was my family,” Ollie repeated. “She was my family and you let me think she was dead.”

“You know what that stakes are here, Oliver Queen,” Arthur said.

“Yes, I damn well do,” Ollie said, his back a straight and angry line. Connor sometimes wished he could aim his father as well as an arrow, pointing him in the right direction to go off.

“Then this conversation was pointless,” Arthur said and Ollie snarled at him.

“Don’t think I’ll forget that you lied to me,” Ollie said. “Maybe it doesn’t matter in the scheme of things, I’m not going anywhere and hopefully you aren’t either. But don’t think you can make a habit of jerking me around, Curry.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Arthur said, his eyes cold in the lamp light.

Connor’s eyes darted to his hands, his flesh one covering the wrist of his hook and something about that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

Ollie snarled something that even Connor couldn’t fully make out and turned around.

“While you are here,” Arthur said and Ollie stopped, looking over his shoulder. “Perhaps you would like to know about the latest intelligence.”

Ollie squared his shoulders before turning all the way around. “Fine,” he said. Connor let his shoulders relax even as he didn’t move away from the door.

-0-

Dick woke up when he fell off the couch. With a groan, he curled his knees against his stomach and clutched his head, trying to get the world to stop spinning.

“It’s good you’re finally awake,” Kaldur said and barely cracking an eye open, Dick craned his head back to squint at him. Kaldur knelt down beside him, a glass of water in one hand.

“What happened?” Dick asked. “My head—”

“I’m sorry,” Kaldur said. “Here, you should probably move to the bed, so it looks more like we did what we were supposed to. I need to leave soon but no one coming in will comment on you staying in bed today.”

“Okay,” Dick said, and Kaldur held out the water until he could hold it without the glass shaking. Once he’d swallowed half of it, Kaldur reached out, helping him to his feet and dragging him the few feet from the couch to the bed. “But what did happen?”

“I’m sorry,” Kaldur repeated, dropping Dick on the bed and Dick groaned again, burrowing his head into the pillow. “It was my fault. I was so stupid, I should have known—I did know someone would try something but I thought—Damn, I was an idiot.”

“Okay,” Dick agreed. He could vaguely start to remember hanging off Kaldur, of something that felt like fire—He blanched and Kaldur looked even more embarrassed.

 “The court uses aphrodisiacs to make it seem like at least some of their slaves want, well, them,” Kaldur said. “I should have guessed they were looking for a show from you and me. And I was stupid enough to fall for it. We have to,” and he made a frustrated sound as Dick buried his face in his hands.

“I was begging,” he muttered, unable to remember ever doing so. “I was,” and he froze, because the memories were coming back but he couldn’t remember how it _ended_ , or when he fell asleep on the couch. When he glanced up, panicked, Kaldur was looking impassively back at him.

“Don’t worry,” Kaldur said, voice completely flat. “I would never believe touching you would be anything except taking advantage.”

“You,” Dick started and stopped. “You—I was begging and you—you _knocked me out_.”

“I’m sorry,” Kaldur said, looking away. “It probably made your head far worse than it already would have been. I could think of nothing else. If I had tied you up,” and he looked at Dick again.

“I would have gotten out of it,” Dick said. He buried his face again, because he had been hanging off Kaldur, pleading, and the prince had knocked him cold instead of taking advantage of the moment. Dick felt himself reorienting his ideas of the prince and forced himself to look up again.

“I assumed as much,” Kaldur said. “I’m sorry,” he said yet again and Dick swallowed past his dry throat.

“Can, can you get me that glass again?” he asked, and Kaldur turned abruptly to do just that. Handing it over, Kaldur didn’t quite meet his eyes. “I hate to say this,” Dick said. “Considering that my head is killing me but,” and he curled his hands around the glass, biting the inside of his cheek. “Thank you.”

“I should never have let that happen to begin with,” Kaldur said, looking away again.

“Still,” Dick said softly. “Thank you.”

Kaldur looked up, meeting his eyes finally and Dick’s fingers tightened convulsively on the glass. “I would not, I will not, do that to you,” he said softly. “I cannot.”

Dick found himself breaking the eye contact first.

“I must,” Kaldur said, taking a step back.

“Right,” Dick said, unsure what moment had been broken.

“Rest today,” Kaldur said. “No one would question it,” and he was gone, leaving Dick sitting in the middle of the bed, the glass almost empty in his hands. With another groan he stripped the shirt he’d worn the night before off, tossing it to one side and sitting the empty glass on the floor he flopped back on the bed, burying his face behind his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The under world of Atlantis has been haunting me since I vaguely referenced it in Find the Sun. The fact this story went so long without referencing it is sorta amazing, but it never felt right without it being a more organic part of the story, Atlantis slowly opening up over the course of the story.


End file.
